Brief pain inventory and pain detection questionnaire based on WeChat and paper versions for collecting data on patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia: An analysis for their validity and reliability

Abstract

Background: This study explored the validity and reliability of brief pain inventory (BPI) and pain detection questionnaire (PD-Q) based on WeChat and paper versions for collecting data on patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia. Methods: The study participants were 160 patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia admitted in our hospital from December 2017 to June 2020. Initially, the participants were randomly divided into group A (n = 80) and group B (n = 80). Then, they were required to complete the Chinese versions of the BPI and PD-Q. In group A, the WeChat version was finished first, followed by the paper version. In group B, the paper version was completed first, followed by the WeChat version. Then, the test–retest reliability was analyzed by comparing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the 2 groups. Bland–Altman plots and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze the concordance between the paper and WeChat versions. Results: Patients generally preferred the WeChat version of the BPI and PD-Q, particularly men and patients with pain duration ≥ 30 minutes. Specifically, no significant differences in the completion time of the BPI and PD-Q was found between the 2 groups. All patients had high test–retest reliability and internal consistency for both WeChat and paper versions (BPI: ICC, 0.913; Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.959; PD-Q: ICC, 0.825; Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.894). Bland–Altman plots indicated no significant systematic deviations between the WeChat and paper versions. Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a strong correlation between BPI (Spearman, 0.928) and PD-Q (Spearman, 0.830) questionnaires. Conclusion: The WeChat and paper versions of the BPI and PD-Q have good repeatability, reliability, and consistency for collecting data on patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia.