Defense & Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS)

"I used the DVPRS yesterday afternoon for the first time. Indeed, the process allowed me to obtain information from the patient I think I would otherwise not have appreciated from my usual assessment. Specifically, it was the way the pain has interfered with her sleep that bothered her the most, affecting her mood and causing her stress. That conversation confirmed the choices she and I had made about how to address her pain. The rating scale added depth to my understanding and made me feel more solid in my recommendations..."

Jennifer Boyd, PA-C
Primary Care Provider in a Federally Qualified Health Center, West Virginia

The DVPRS is a graphic tool clinicians can use to facilitate self-reported pain diagnoses from patients.

DVPRS Scale: A free pain reporting scale for diagnostic use

DVPRS Supplemental Questions: Supplemental questions for use with the DVPRS.

DVPRS (Single Page Format): DVPRS Scale & Supplemental Questions with enlarged font.

NOTE: Permission is granted for clinicians and researchers to freely use the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) as is, without alteration.  If used in revised or altered form, it should not be referred to as the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale. 

Using the DVPRS

The video above provides an overview of why the DVPRS was developed and how it can be utilized in clinical care.

DVPRS from a Patient's Perspective

The video above provides an overview from the patient perspective of how the DVPRS improves the pain conversation between a clinician and patient, and why that is important for improving outcomes not only in pain intensity, but other areas such as physical functioning.

DVPRS Health Care Provider Survey

Have you used the DVPRS as a health care provider? If so, we want to hear about your experience. Take a few moments to leave a comment.

Alternate Language Versions

DVPRS Scale and Supplemental Questions (Spanish)

DVPRS Scale (Vietnamese)

DVPRS Supplemental Questions (Vietnamese)