Study findings demonstrated a high prevalence of moderate to severe pain after cardiac surgery and insufficient analgesic administration. Results indicated that patients were discharged from hospital with unrelieved pain and a potential risk for further postoperative complications.

Postoperative pain and inadequate analgesic use were problems for many participants regardless of group allocation, and the current intervention did not reduce worst pain intensity compared with control. Further examination of supportive follow-up monitoring and/or self-management strategies post-discharge is required.

These results suggest that informing patients (particularly women) about the benefits of analgesic use following cardiac surgery may result in less pain over the first year post discharge.