The National Institutes of Health developed the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) which uses a health domain related to Pain Interference (PI). Matthew J. et al. and his colleagues conducted this research to assess the health domain and its relationship with physical function (as determined by PROMIS Physical Function [PF]). It was administered as a computer adaptive test (CAT), and secondarily its association to a numerical 0 to 10 pain score. The null hypothesis used in statistical theory was PI, measured by CAT. The PI value does not correlate with PF, and therefore no differences were observed between comparisons of PROMIS PF and numerical pain scores.

The adult patients were presented to an upper extremity clinic from February to December 2015, and those who completed PROMIS PF, PI, and numerical 0 to 10 pain score questionnaires were enrolled in the study. The PROMIS modules were completed in computer adaptive form electronically. Mean population scoring on each module is described at 50. The rating of pain scale was on a 0 to 10 level. These datasets were collected as routine clinical care and were extracted from the electronic health record for cross-sectional evaluation. The association between the promise modules and the numerical pain scores was defined by bivariate Pearson coefficient, and correlations between PF and PI were compared with correlations between PF and pain scores.

The data were recorded from patients' at 10,574 first, 5,210 second, 2,633 third, 1,382 fourth, and 722 fifth visits. A negative correlation was found between PROMIS PI & PROMIS PF and numerical pain scores & PROMIS PF. Numerical pain scores were less correlated than PROMIS PI through time relative to PF.

The study inferred that both PROMIS PI and numerical pain scores exhibit significant correlations with PF for each office visit. The patient-reported pain using a 0 to 10 pain score can be used as a predictor of patients' level of function. Pain scores can't replace patient-reported outcomes, but they can be used as a source of useful information in the absence of patient-reported outcomes.