Patient Pain Questionnaire – PPQ
A 16-item self-report scale designed to measure a cancer patient's knowledge and experience in managing chronic pain.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Patient Pain Questionnaire – PPQ was developed by Betty R. Ferrell, RN, PhD, FAAN (City of Hope Pain & Palliative Care Resource Center) (1991). It is designed to measure Cancer pain knowledge and experience. The scale is intended for use with Cancer patients experiencing chronic pain.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Knowledge, Experience.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 | 9 |
| Experience | 10,11,12,13,14,15,16 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Most positive outcome (e.g., Agree / No pain / Complete relief / Complete control), 10 = Most negative outcome (e.g., Disagree / Severe pain / No relief / No control).
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 160. Interpretation guidelines:
- Good pain management knowledge and low pain impact: 0 – 53
- Moderate pain management knowledge and moderate pain impact: 54 – 106
- Poor pain management knowledge and high pain impact: 107 – 160
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.74.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.