Implementation of the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool increases the frequency of pain assessment for noncommunicative ICU patients.

Background: Pain is a common stressor for ICU patients, necessitating routine assessment. For patients who are unable to communicate, self-report tools are unsuitable, and the use of an observational tool is required to assess pain appropriately. The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) is the most reliable tool currently available to assess pain in these patients.