Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2025

One Size Does Not Fit All: How Clinical Pain Assessment Scales and Tools Mask Crip Narratives of Chronicity

Adrianna Deptula Purdue University West Lafayette

Abstract

This study investigates how chronic pain is represented in widely used pain assessment scales. Through a thematic analysis, four overarching themes are identified: pain is framed as a linear continuum, depicted as a progressive bodily obstacle, normalized to a baseline of zero, and characterized as a predictable condition. The design of these scales oversimplifies the complexities of chronic pain into a linear narrative that can potentially marginalize patient experiences and lead to treatment delays. This research advocates for a shift toward patient experience design (PXD) to develop more nuanced, human-centered assessment tools that better capture the fluidity of chronicity.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2025-10-01
DOI
10.1177/00472816251325229
Open Access
Closed
Topics
writing across the curriculum qualitative research multimodality

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (15)

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    Designing Interculturally: Adopting a Social Justice Research Framework for “Se…
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