Association of Pain Assessment Method and Postepidural Pain Levels in Labouring Patients With Limited English Proficiency

( Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth . 2024;71(9):1328–1330. doi: 10.1007/s12630-024-02802-5) Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) often encounter disparities in health care, especially when exact communication and understanding is needed such as during labor pain evaluation. Effective pain management during labor is critical, and accurate pain evaluation is key to ensuring optimal labor epidural analgesia (LEA). Commonly used for pain assessment, the 0 to 10 numerical rating scale (NRS) is applied to minimize subjective evaluation, however, its reliance on verbal communication may limit its effectiveness for LEP patients who require interpreters. This Letter to the Editor examined whether LEP patients receiving LEA are less likely to have their pain evaluated using the NRS and whether any difference correlates with higher pain scores.