Authors: Graydon C, et al.
Anesthesiology 143(2): 275-286, August 2025. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000005503
This study developed and validated the Pediatric Scale for Quality of Recovery (PedSQoR), a tool designed to measure physical, emotional, and psychological recovery in children after surgery and anesthesia. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors combined a literature review of 41 instruments (216 questions) with input from a Delphi panel of experts and semistructured interviews with patients and families.
The resulting pilot questionnaire included 50 items, administered to 1,162 children across the United States and Australia. Through item reduction and factor analysis, the tool was refined into a 20-item validated scale capturing the most relevant domains of pediatric recovery.
PedSQoR offers a patient-centered outcome measure with strong clinical and research potential, designed to provide a holistic view of recovery that goes beyond traditional endpoints.
Practical takeaway: PedSQoR gives anesthesiologists and perioperative teams a validated, child-focused instrument to track recovery quality, enabling better outcome measurement in both clinical care and research trials.
Editor’s Perspective
What We Already Know about This Topic
- Measuring the quality of a patient’s recovery is vital, and reliable patient-centered outcome metrics are needed for clinical investigations and quality improvement. There are no widely accepted assessment tools to measure quality of recovery in children.
What This Article Tells Us That Is New
- This article describes the Pediatric Scale for Quality of Recovery (PedSQoR), which was developed and validated with consumer involvement and a strong patient-centered focus. It is a 20-item questionnaire designed to provide a holistic representation of a child’s physical, emotional, and psychologic recovery after surgery and anesthesia.
Thank you to Anesthesiology for publishing this work.