suggest that patient demographic factors influence healthcare provider assessment
of patient pain and providers’treatment decisions.
This brief review provides evidence that pain can be reliably measured that
studies of experimental pain stimuli have utility for the study of clinical acute and
persistent pain and give insights as to factors that maintain chronic pain. This
understanding will provide the foundation for novel treatment strategies. In addi-
tion, patient and healthcare provider demographic factors influence provider
assessments and treatment decisions for the management of pain. Thesefindings
provide the foundation for the need to educate healthcare providers about treatment
Female, African American, Young, High pain
Female, African American, Young, Low pain
Fig. 6.5 Screenshots of high
and low pain faces
6 The Challenge of Measuring Pain in Humans 113