Exploring factors among healthcare professionals that inhibit effective pain management in cancer patients

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the barriers to good cancer pain management between physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in Jordan. Design: A descriptive correlational design was used to answer the research questions of this study. Methods: A group of 473 participants completed the study questionnaires (Barriers Questionnaire -II and Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey). Results: Fears related to analgesic use, fears related to opioid side effects, communication, cultural beliefs, and lack of knowledge were the most clearly identified barriers to cancer pain management. Cancer pain management has not previously been an area of interest for the Jordanian health authorities. Conclusion: The information that emerged from this study helps to identify the current barriers and misconceptions among health professionals that prevent effective pain management for cancer patients. To maximize the role of health professionals in this area, health administrators need to provide them with more specialized training and empowerment.

Managing Pain in People with Cancer—a Systematic Review of the Attitudes and Knowledge of Professionals, Patients, Caregivers and Public

“…Overall, the results of this review have found some evidence that there are negative attitudes and lack of knowledge towards CPM among the four groups included in this review. These findings are consistent with those of recent studies and systematic reviews [12,13,20,26,37,79,80,96]. Thus, it can be argued that due to these negative attitudes and lack of knowledge towards CPM, the management of cancer pain remains a major problem worldwide, especially in countries within Europe, Africa and Asia [13,26,52,75,76,81,92].…”

“…Therefore, understanding patients' culture and beliefs can provide the professional with a consideration into how cancer is viewed by the patient [88]. However, professionals can also be influenced by their culture, as it has been reported that cultural beliefs among professionals were one of the most obviously identified barriers towards CPM [80].…”

“…CPM among professionals [1,18,80,82,93], cancer patients [61] and family caregivers [79] were reported by recent reviews and studies as one of the most common barriers to effective CPM.…”

“…However, synthesis of these results has not yet been undertaken. Conducting such a review is important as it is now well established from a variety of studies that many common barriers delay the delivery of effective CPM to patients; this could be caused by professionals [9,11,18,24,46,80,83,84], cancer patients [57], caregivers [95] and the general public [51], which is likely to result in inadequate CPM. Thus, the aim of this systematic review is to determine the nature and impact of attitudes and knowledge towards CPM.…”

Barriers and Solutions for Improving Pain Management Practices in Acute Hospital Settings: Perspectives of Healthcare Practitioners for a Pain-Free Hospital Initiative

“…5) However, diverse factors such as fears related to opioid side effects, communication issues, cultural beliefs, and lack of knowledge limit effective pain management. 6) Pain-free hospital initiatives that integrate pain treatment into routine hospital care have been implemented internationally to achieve pain management quality indicators. For example, in Poland, hospitals that maintain high standards of postoperative analgesia in terms of preoperative patient information, assessment and documentation, and monitoring of medication side effects and complications are certified as 'pain-free hospitals' .…”