Improving Cancer Pain Management Through Patient and Family Education (original) (raw)

A Pain Education Program for chronic cancer pain patients: follow-up results from a randomized controlled trial

Pain, 1997

The effectiveness of a Pain Education Program in cancer patients with chronic pain offered by nurses was investigated in a randomized controlled clinical trial. A multi-method approach was used in which verbal instruction, written material, an audio cassette tape, and the use of a pain diary were combined to inform and instruct patients about pain and pain management. The Pain Education Program was tailored to the needs of the individual patient and consisted of three elements: (1) educating patients about the basic principles regarding pain and pain management; (2) instructing patients how to report their pain in a pain diary; and (3) instructing patients how to communicate about pain and how to contact health care providers. Following pretesting in 313 patients, patients who needed district nursing and who did not need district nursing at home were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. Intervention group patients received the Pain Education Program in the hospital, and 3 and 7 days postdischarge by telephone; this was done by nurses who were specially trained as pain counselors. Follow-up assessments were at 2, 4 and 8 weeks postdischarge. Results of the pretest showed that many patients lacked knowledge about pain and pain management. The majority of pain topics had to be discussed. The Pain Education Program proved to be feasible: 75.0% of the patients had read the entire pain brochure, 55.7% had listened to the audio cassette, and 85.6% of pain scores were completed in the pain diary. Results showed a significant increase in pain knowledge in patients who received the Pain Education Program and a significant decrease in pain intensity. However, pain relief was mainly found in the intervention group patients without district nursing. It can be concluded that the tailored Pain Education Program is effective for cancer patients in chronic pain. The use of the Pain Education Program by nurses should be seriously considered on oncology units.

Effects of brief pain education on hospitalized cancer patients with moderate to severe pain

Supportive Care in Cancer, 2003

The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to assess the effects of a structured pain education program on the pain experience of hospitalized cancer patients. Eligible cancer pain patients were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (receiving pain education 10-15 min per day for 5 days, n=15) or a standard care control group (n=15). The effects of the intervention on six pain-related variables were evaluated using three instruments. Pain intensity, pain interference with daily life, negative beliefs about opioids, beliefs about endurance of pain, pain catastrophizing (an individual's tendency to focus on and exaggerate the threat value of painful stimuli and negatively evaluate his or her own ability to deal with pain), and sense of control over pain were evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form Taiwanese version (BPI-T), Pain and Opioid Analgesic Beliefs Scale-Cancer (POABS-CA), and the Catastrophizing subscale and the sense of control over pain measure from the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). The results indicated that, after completing treatment, patients who had received structured pain education had significantly less pain intensity on average, negative pain beliefs regarding opioids, pain endurance beliefs, and pain catastrophizing than patients in the control group. In addition, patients in the pain education group showed a significant increase in their sense of control over pain. These preliminary results strongly suggest that structured pain education can effectively improve the pain experience of hospitalized cancer patients and should be further implemented clinically.

Comparative Effectiveness of Video and Face-to- Face Sessions to Educate Hospitalized Patients on Cancer Pain Management

Siriraj Medical Journal

Objective: Patients’ lack of knowledge of cancer pain management affects pain outcomes. This study compared the effectiveness of cancer pain management achieved in a previous retrospective study (“P-group”), in which hospitalized cancer pain individuals received no pain education, with the pain management achieved by 2 study groups. One group received pain management information via video sessions (“V-group”) and the other via face-to-face coaching (“F-group”). The study’s secondary aims were to compare the 2 interventions’ psychological, quality-of-life, and opioid-consumption impacts. Materials and Methods: This single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial enrolled hospitalized cancer pain patients aged between 18 and 70 with an Eastern Clinical Oncology Group performance status < 4. They were assigned to V- and F-groups to receive information on managing cancer pain. “Successful pain control” was defined as “no to mild pain” or a numerical rating scale score < 4 on Day 6. P...

A randomized controlled trial of a nurse-administered educational intervention for improving cancer pain management in ambulatory settings

Patient Education and Counseling, 2004

The persistence of negative attitudes towards cancer pain and its treatment suggests there is scope for identifying more effective pain education strategies. This randomized controlled trial involving 189 ambulatory cancer patients evaluated an educational intervention that aimed to optimize patients' ability to manage pain. One week post-intervention, patients receiving the pain management intervention (PMI) had a significantly greater increase in selfreported pain knowledge, perceived control over pain, and number of pain treatments recommended. Intervention group patients also demonstrated a greater reduction in willingness to tolerate pain, concerns about addiction and side effects, being a "good" patient, and tolerance to pain relieving medication. The results suggest that targeted educational interventions that utilize individualized instructional techniques may alter cancer patient attitudes, which can potentially act as barriers to effective pain management.

Development and implementation of a pain education program

Cancer, 1993

Pain is a significant problem for cancer patients and is of particular concern for the elderly. This article reports on the development and implementation of a pain management educational intervention for elderly cancer patients and their family caregivers. This patient education program was developed within a research study funded by the American Cancer Society.

How effective are patient-based educational interventions in the management of cancer pain? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Pain, 2009

The authors found that patient-based educational interventions significantly reduced cancer pain, although the effect was modest and did not appear to translate into reduced pain in daily activities or improved medication adherence. The review was well conducted, but due to methodological limitations of the primary studies and heterogeneity in the findings these conclusions may require a degree of caution. Authors' objectives To assess the effectiveness of patient-based educational interventions for management of cancer pain. Searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ASSIA and AMED were searched from inception to November 2007. The search strategy was available on request. The Cochrane Library, the website of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the journals Pain, Journal of Clinical Oncology and Journal of Patient Education and Counseling (1997 to 2007) were also searched. The reference lists of retrieved studies and previous reviews were checked. Data extraction Relative risks (RRs) were calculated for dichotomous data and weighted or standardised mean differences (WMD or SMD) calculated for continuous data. Corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Data were

Improving physician–patient communication about cancer pain with a tailored education-coaching intervention

Patient Education and Counseling, 2010

Objective: This study examined the effect of a theoretically grounded, tailored education-coaching intervention to help patients more effectively discuss their pain-related questions, concerns, and preferences with physicians. Methods: Grounded in social-cognitive and communication theory, a tailored education-coaching (TEC) intervention was developed to help patients learn pain management and communication skills. In a RCT, 148 cancer patients agreed to have their consultations audio-recorded and were assigned to the intervention or a control group. The recordings were used to code for patients' questions, acts of assertiveness, and expressed concerns and to rate the quality of physicians' communication.

Cancer Pain Education for Patients and the Public

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2002

Pain education for patients and the public is an essential element of improved pain management. This article reports on the implementation of a national training project, Cancer Pain Education for Patients and the Public (CPEPP). The CPEPP curriculum was designed to address the multiple opportunities for pain education and to provide resources and support for successful implementation.

Effectiveness of Knowledge Translation Interventions to Improve Cancer Pain Management

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2011

Context. Cancer pain is prevalent, yet patients do not receive best care despite widely available evidence. Although national cancer control policies call for education, effectiveness of such programs is unclear and best practices are not well defined. Objectives. To examine existing evidence on whether knowledge translation (KT) interventions targeting health care providers, patients, and caregivers improve cancer pain outcomes. Methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken to evaluate primary studies that examined effects of KT interventions on providers and patients. Results. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies reported interventions targeting health care providers, four focused on patients or their families, one study examined patients and their significant others, and 16 studies examined patients only. Seven quantitative comparisons measured the statistical effects of interventions. A significant difference favoring the treatment group in least pain intensity (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44, 1.42) and in usual pain/ average pain (95% CI: 0.13, 0.74) was observed. No other statistical differences were observed. However, most studies were assessed as having high risk of bias and failed to report sufficient information about the intervention dose, quality of educational material, fidelity, and other key factors required to evaluate effectiveness of intervention design. Conclusion. Trials that used a higher dose of KT intervention (characterized by extensive follow-up, comprehensive educational program, and higher resource