The treatment outcomes of pain survey (TOPS): a clinical monitoring and outcomes instrument for chronic pain practice and research.

The field of health outcomes research has increased the utilization of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) instruments to document economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes (ECHO). The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Questionnaire (MOSSF-36, SF-36) has been utilized extensively in many disease states for this purpose, although it is not validated for use in chronic pain patients. The Total Outcomes of Pain Survey (TOPS) incorporates all the domains of the SF-36, and includes additional domains relevant in the management of chronic pain patients. The TOPS is well validated in these patients. In addition to its utility as an outcomes research tool, the TOPS is sensitive enough to document clinical changes in individual patients, making it a useful assessment tool for clinicians.