Common Data Elements (CDEs) Repository

The NIH HEAL Initiative’s Common Data Elements (CDEs) program aims to harmonize the data collected by the initiative’s studies, enhancing the comparability of various data sets generated by HEAL research.  

HEAL researchers and potential applicants conducting research with human participants should also prioritize using the HEAL CDEs. Researchers outside the HEAL Initiative conducting pain research may also be interested in using validated and structured questionnaires.

The 'core' questionnaires in ten domains, demographic information, and opioid usage are required for the human subjects in pain HEAL grants and are organized depending on the type of pain and population being studied.

Most HEAL pain studies would fall into one of several categories that would determine their core questionnaires: adult acute pain, adult chronic pain, or pediatric pain (both acute and chronic pain). These categories are listed in the “core or supplemental” column.

The “Advanced Search” function can filter the questionnaires by the specific type of pain research being conducted (acute vs. chronic), the patient population (adult vs. pediatric), and the domain (research topic) of the questionnaires.

For core questionnaires with multiple versions listed (e.g., GAD-2, GAD-7), studies can use any one of these versions, but at a minimum must use the shortest version listed.

The text box allows users to search for a specific questionnaire or research topic area.

Files can be downloaded directly from the links in the second column. Filenames that include the suffix “CRF” are questionnaires (case-report forms) and filenames with the suffix “CDE” are the CDE files with variable names and coding information.

To download more than one file at a time, use the checkboxes on the left hand side to select the files you would like to download. After you click the "Download Selected Files" button, you will get a message at the top of the page saying, "Export file created, Click here to download." This will download a zipped folder with your selections.

“Download list” allows users to download the list of questionnaires that are displayed as search results.

For questionnaires that are copyrighted and require a license for use, the files linked below contain instructions on how to properly obtain a license for use.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

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Description File Name File Language Core or Supplemental Research Topic
The Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) was developed to measure stigma in Health Care Providers. English
  • Supplemental
Questions for Providers
The Ocular Pain Assessment Survey (OPAS) measures ocular pain and quality of life. English
  • Supplemental
Ocular Pain
The Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) is a self-report screening tool for adult patients in primary care settings to assess risk for opioid abuse among individuals prescribed opioids for treatment of chronic pain. English
  • Supplemental
Opioids
The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) is a 12-item scale for the assessment of symptoms related to dry eye disease and their effect on vision. English
  • Supplemental
Ocular Pain
The Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome Yellow Flag (OSPRO-YF) is a multidimensional screening tool used to assess psychosocial factors in individuals with musculoskeletal pain. English
  • Supplemental
Pain Interference
The Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification (OSU TBI ID) is a standardized procedure for eliciting a person's lifetime history of TBI through a 3-5 minute structured interview. English
  • Supplemental
TBI
The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) Scale is a cluster of behavioral disturbances, which include: restlessness, excitation, inconsolable crying, and delusions. English
  • Supplemental
Anesthesia
PainDETECT is a self-reported assessment of pain qualities developed as a screening tool for pain of neuropathic origin. English, Spanish
  • Supplemental
Neuropathic Pain
The Pain Resilience Scale measures cognitive/affective positivity and behavioral perseverance during exposure to noxious stimuli. English
  • Supplemental
Resilience
The Pain Resilience Scale measures cognitive/affective positivity and behavioral perseverance during exposure to noxious stimuli. Spanish
  • Supplemental
Resilience
The Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) is a subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. When using an NRS, the patient indicates the number that corresponds to pain severity, either verbally or by marking the scale. English
  • Supplemental
Pain Intensity
The Faces Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. When using an NRS, the patient indicates the number that corresponds to pain severity, either verbally or by marking the scale. English
  • Supplemental
Pain Intensity
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a scale that assesses feelings and emotions. English
  • Supplemental
Affect
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Expanded Form (PANAS-X) measures both Positive Affect and Negative Affect, as well as 11 primary affects labeled: Fear, Sadness, Guilt, Hostility, Shyness, Fatigue, Surprise, Joviality, Self-Assurance, Attentiveness, and Serenity. English
  • Supplemental
Affect
The Photosensitivity Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) is a self-report measure that evaluates two dimensions of photosensitivity: photophilia and photophobia. English
  • Supplemental
Sensory
The Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (PASS) evaluates pain anxiety, which leads to avoidance of daily activities and normal movements. English
  • Supplemental
Anxiety