Pain Management in Children with Cancer: National Surveys of Practices and Perceptions in Morocco

Abstract

AIM: The aim of the study was to improve the quality of pain management in Moroccan pediatric oncology units, the Moroccan Society of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology initiated a national quality improvement project in 2014 with the support of the Lalla Salma Foundation for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer.
 METHODS: To assess the current situation of pain management in Moroccan pediatric oncology patients, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted, involving patient/parental proxies and health-care providers’.
 RESULTS: The first survey concerned 108 care providers from five institutions. The second survey covered 155 children with cancer from the five Moroccan pediatric oncology units. Among them, 145 reported suffering from pain, which patients/families attributed to the underlying cancer (n = 85), to procedures and treatment (n = 46), or to both the cancer and procedures/treatment (n = 19). Procedural pain was mainly related to lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspirate. The majority of patients/parents reported that pain negatively impacted their emotional, physical, and social functioning. The majority of parents requested further information and communication about pain management.
 CONCLUSION: Both health-care providers and families of children with cancer in Morocco report need for pain management improvement, including in institutional and educational practices. This current baseline data have informed the development of our ongoing project including continuing education, training, and practice policies development.

Família E Equipe De Saúde: Como Percebem a Dor Da Criança E Do Adolescente Com Câncer?

“…Relacionamos esses dois erros conceituais com o fato de que, quando questionados em relação a ter realizado algum treinamento em relação à avaliação e controle de dor, recebemos 100% de respostas negativas pelos auxiliares e técnicos de enfermagem, contra 40% dos médicos e 60% das enfermeiras, que referiram já terem feito capacitações específicas sobre o tema. Em estudo realizado no Marrocos, foi igualmente constatado que a grande maioria dos profissionais de saúde (74%) não tinha formação específica em gestão de dor, e isso tornou-se obstáculo ao bom tratamento da dor dos pacientes (KHOUBILA et al, 2020).…”

Impact of Family Caregiver Training on Care of Burn Patients

“…However, patients with burn injuries and family caregivers have little information about pain management (Heydarikhayat et al, 2018). In a similar cross-sectional survey in Morocco, most family caregivers requested additional information regarding pain management (Khoubila et al, 2020). The last finding of this study found that caregivers in the experimental group were more likely to return the patient to the burn clinic.…”