Medical Student Knowledge of Morphine for the Management of Cancer Pain (original) (raw)
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Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2015
Background: Medical practitioners' attitudes have a significant impact on quality of care for cancer pain patients. This study was conducted to determine if being given a lecture concerning cancer pain and its management could improve the attitudes of medical students. Materials and Methods: A comparative study was conducted in 126 fifth-year medical students. Each student completed a pretest consisting of 3 questions about attitudes toward the optimal use of analgesics and 5 questions about attitudes toward prescribing opioids. Then they were given a 1.5-hour lecture, immediately following which they completed a post-test with the same questions. Results: Analysis with either comparison between groups or by matching, the post-test showed significantly more positive attitudes (p<0.05) of the medical students in all 3 questions about optimal use of analgesics and 4 out of 5 questions about prescription of opioids. The post-test results showed significantly more negative attitudes concerning the most appropriate stage for patients with severe pain to receive maximal doses of analgesics. Conclusions: Conservative attitudes, especially concerns about addiction, have been associated with a reluctance in many physicians to prescribe opioids. This study found that cancer pain education can help to improve medical student attitudes. However, fear of addiction and tolerance was still evident so emphasis of this particular issue during a lecture is essential. Providing appropriate information by means of a lecture can improve the attitudes of medical students regarding cancer pain management. However, more information should be given to lessen fear of addiction and tolerance.
A survey of advanced medical students’ knowledge towards cancer pain management
The Chinese-German Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2012
As "the fifth vital sigh" [1] , the diagnosis and treatment of cancer pain could not be over emphasized in the whole cancer management. However, the current status of cancer pain management in China is not satisfactory: only 41% of cancer pain could be effectively alleviated, and 25% of cancer pain for advanced patients [2] . The cognitive level of medical staff towards to cancer pain management is one of the restraining factors [3] , which arises from the insufficient education towards the management in medical school. Therefore, a survey of advanced medical students' knowledge towards cancer pain management was conducted for the medical education.
2021
Introduction: The use of morphine is viewed as an integral part of pain management in cancer patients. The responsibility for pain treatment lies with physicians. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge of clinical use of morphine in the management of pain in cancer patients among physicians working in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Material and method: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all the 110 participants in attendance at the Continuing Medical Education meeting organized by the Nigerian Medical Association, Kebbi State Branch. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Result: A total of 95 physicians participated, including 12 consultants (12.6%), 38 registrars (40.0%), 35 medical officers (36.8%), and 7 house officers (7.4%). Only 30 respondents (31.6%) had ever received professional training on pain management or analgesic use. Overall, only 10 (10.5%) respondents had good knowledge of pain management in cancer patients and morphine use. Conclusion: Physician...
Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2002
Although effective means for pain management have long been available, cancer pain remains widely undertreated. Surveys of medical personnel have revealed knowledge deficits and attitudinal barriers to pain management, but have not determined why such attitudes persist and how they may be addressed in medical and nursing curricula. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of the beliefs and attitudes toward pain and cancer pain management held by medical and nursing students and faculty who participated in the Cancer Education Module for the Management of Pain (CEMMP) project. Analysis centered on informants' prioritization and knowledge of pain and cancer pain management and on the meanings informants assigned to pain in a clinical context. Themes in prioritization included the importance of learning about pain versus cancer pain and the responsibility of primary care providers versus specialists for pain and cancer pain management. Themes in informants' knowledge of pain included knowledge deficits about medications and adjunct therapies and the presence of pain management in the curriculum, and the role of knowledgeable faculty members and mentors in the dissemination of information about pain management. Themes in the meanings informants' assigned to pain included opioidphobia, and the (inter-)subjectivity of pain. The discussion focuses in particular on tensions within the prioritization, knowledge and meanings of pain that must be resolved before students can be appropriately educated for optimal pain management.
Medical students' knowledge and attitude toward cancer pain management in Saudi Arabia
PubMed, 2011
Objective: To assess the final year medical students' knowledge, beliefs, and attitude toward cancer pain, and the need for a formal pain curriculum in medical schools. Methods: An epidemiological study was conducted from May 2008 to October 2009 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assess the students' knowledge and attitude toward cancer pain management. A survey in the form of self-conducted questionnaire was distributed among them. Results: Response rate was 55% (N=325). Fifty-four percent of the respondents believed that <40% of cancer patients suffered from pain. Forty-six percent of them considered cancer pain as untreatable, while 41.6% considered pain as a minor problem, and 58.6% considered the risk of addiction is high with legitimate opioids' prescription. There are 23.1% of students believed that patients are poor judges of their pain, 68% of them limited opioids prescription to patients with poor prognosis, and 77.1% believed that drug tolerance or psychological dependence, rather than advanced stages' cancer is the cause of increasing analgesic doses. The students' knowledge on the causes of cancer pain, pain clinic rule, and pain inclusion in the medical curriculum was poor. The correlation between personal life experience and respondents' attitude toward cancer pain management did not reveal any statistical significant. Conclusion: The study revealed poor knowledge and negative attitude of medical students' toward cancer pain. A structured teaching pain program is needed to improve the knowledge and attitude of future doctors toward pain.
British Journal of Pain, 2015
Introduction: Chronic pain results in significant personal, societal and economic burden. Doctors and nurses have a pivotal role in patient pain management. In order to determine the effectiveness of current pain education on knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of medical and nursing students, there needs to be a valid measure to assess and quantify these domains. We reviewed the literature to identify approaches for assessing knowledge, perceptions and attitudes to pain management among nursing and medical students. Methods: Databases of peer-reviewed literature including CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, PsycInfo, Medline and PubMed were searched for articles published between 1993 and December 2014 using the following search terms: Results: The search revealed over 3500 articles, and on application of the inclusion criteria, 26 articles were included in the review. A total of 14 instruments were used in these studies with the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) as the main instrument in 9 out of the 26 articles. The various instruments used different question formats such as multiple-choice questions (MCQs), true/false statements and Likert scales that went from 3 points to 7 points. Clinical skills examinations were also used in four studies to assess pain management. Conclusion: There is no gold standard instrument currently used to assess knowledge, perceptions and attitudes to pain management. The results of this review showed, despite the diversity of standardised instruments that have been used to assess knowledge, perceptions and attitude to pain management, the literature has consistently reported that knowledge about pain management among nursing and medical students was generally poor among both groups.
Interns’ Attitudes on Cancer Pain and Its Management
Songklanagarind Medical Journal
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate interns’ attitudes in terms of cancer pain and its management, including opioid prescription.Material and Method: Questionnaires consisting of 2 parts (attitudes toward cancer pain and its management as well as attitudes toward opioid prescription), were completed by 125 out of 165 interns (75.8%).Result: The majority of them thought that maximum analgesic treatment should be commenced when patients’ life expectancy was not more than 1 year (76.0%). They rated the patients’ requirement for pain medications as average (73.6%) and supposed that the demand for higher analgesic doses indicating increased pain level (60.8%). Almost seventy percent would cautiously regulate the dosage and frequency of opioids to avoid tolerance and addiction. Two thirds did not agree to provide too low dose of opioid to prevent tolerance. Over 80.0% did not agree that they should inform patients, as well as their relatives, that opioids were bad, nor did they...
Pain and palliative care: the knowledge of medical students and the graduation gaps
Revista Dor, 2017
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Currently, the medical course does not provide complete education and handling of pain, and it is also devoid of disciplines addressing thanatology in palliative care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge about pain and palliative care of medical students and their perception on how these themes are taught the graduation course. METHODS: We invited to participate in the survey students of the medical school who are concluding the fourth, fifth and sixth year of graduation at the Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre. The demographic and characterization data of the sample were collected, and a questionnaire was applied and validated with 19 direct questions about pain and palliative care. RESULTS: Forty-seven students agreed to participate in the study. The vast majority mentioned not receiving enough information during the undergraduate program about the proper handling of patients with pain, and patient care in a terminal situation. CONCLUSION: This study highlights education gaps on pain and palliative care in medical schools. It shows the difficulties of the students have to put the theoretical knowledge into practice, for example, their insecurity in handling pain, especially when it comes to the use of opioids.