The Child–Adult Medical Procedure Interaction Scale-Short Form (CAMPIS-SF): Validation of a Rating Scale for Children's and Adults' Behaviors During Painful Medical Procedures

This study evaluated the concurrent and construct validity of the Child–Adult Medical Procedure Interaction Scale-Short Form (CAMPIS-SF), a behavior rating scale of children's acute procedural distress and coping, and the coping promoting behaviors and distress promoting behaviors of their parents and the medical personnel who were present in the medical treatment room. Sixty preschool children undergoing immunizations at a county health department served as subjects. Videotapes of the procedures were scored using three observational measures in addition to the CAMPIS-SF. Also, parent, nurse, and child report measures of child distress, fear, pain, and cooperation were obtained. Results indicated that the validity of the CAMPIS-SF codes of Child Coping, Child Distress, Parent Coping Promoting, Parent Distress Promoting, Nurse Coping Promoting, and Nurse Distress Promoting behaviors was supported by multiple significant correlations with the other measures. The interrater reliability of the 5-point CAMPIS-SF scales was good to excellent. The results emphasize that the CAMPIS-SF scales can be used to monitor not only children's acute procedural distress, but also their coping and the various adults' behaviors that significantly influence children's distress. Further, because of the CAMPIS-SF's ease of use, it is likely that the study of the effects of the social environment on children's distress and coping will be facilitated.