Background: Pain assessment and proper evaluation of pain are prerequisites for treatment of acute and chronic pain. Until now, most evaluations have used only resting pain intensity and a unidimensional scale, although multidimensional pain assessment and especially assessment of functional pain impact on activities are recommended. The Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) permits this multidimensional assessment, but no validated French translation exists.

Objectives: To validate the French translation of the multidimensional DVPRS, called the Functional Pain Scale (FPS), in multiple settings of acute and chronic pain.

Study design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Two large hospitals in the French-speaking region of Switzerland.

Methods: We recruited 232 patients from February 2022 to January 2023. Patients with acute or chronic pain in different settings received a paper questionnaire with both a numerical rating scale (NRS) and the FPS and a customized evaluation questionnaire. Correlation between the FPS and NRS, psychometric properties, and patient preferences were analyzed.

Results: Correlation between the FPS and NRS was high for the whole group of 232 patients, as well for all subgroups. The multi-item FPS scale showed excellent internal consistency. A large majority of patients, even those >75 years of age, preferred the FPS over the NRS and stated that the FPS was easy to use.

Conclusions: The study confirms that the French translation of the DVPRS (the FPS) is a valid measurement instrument for acute and chronic pain evaluation in a wide range of patient groups and is easy for patients to use.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05307380.