THE EFFECTS OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE AND PAIN INTENSITY ON MEDICAL-STUDENTJUDGMENTS OF CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS

This study examined symptom judgments made by medical students of hypo thetical chronic low back pain patients. Eight vignettes were varied a s to the pain intensity reported by the hypothetical patient (low vs. moderate vs. high vs. very high) and the availability of medical evide nce supportive of the pain report (present vs. absent). Ninety-five su bjects read vignettes and made judgments of patient emotional distress , pain intensity, and pain-related disability. Subjects significantly discounted pain level when intensity was high but slightly augmented p ain level when intensity was low Judgments of pain and disability were higher for patients for whom medical evidence was present compared to those for whom it was absent. The results support and extend previous research on the effects of situational and patient variables on obser ver pain judgments. Future research should examine the influence of th ese biasing variables on the assessment and treatment of chronic pain patients.