Acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa: a knowledge, attitudes and practices survey

Abstract Background: Acute pain is frequently encountered in the prehospital setting, and therefore, a fundamental aspect of quality emergency care. Research has shown a positive association between health care providers’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards pain and pain management practices. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency care providers regarding acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa. The specific objectives were to, identify gaps in pain knowledge; assess attitudes regarding pain assessment and management; describe pain assessment and management behaviours and practices; and identify barriers to and enablers of pain care. Methods: A web-based descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among emergency care providers of all qualifications, using a face-validated Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pain survey. Results: Responses of 100 participants was included in the analysis. The survey response rate could not be calculated. The mean age of respondents was 34.74 (SD8.13) years and the mean years’ experience 10.02 (SD6.47). Most respondents were male (69%), employed in the public/government sector (93%) as operational practitioners (85%) with 54% of respondents having attended medical education on pain care in the last two years. The mean percentage for knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among emergency care providers was 58.01% (SD15.66) with gaps identified in various aspects of pain and pain care. Practitioners with higher qualifications, more years’ experience and those who did not attend medical education on pain, achieved higher scores. Alcohol and drug use by patients were the most selected barrier to pain care while the availability of higher qualified practitioners was the most selected enabler. When asked to record pain scores, practitioners were less inclined to assign scores which were self-reported by the patients in the case scenarios. The participant dropout rate was 35%. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is suboptimal knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among emergency care providers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Further, gaps in pain knowledge, attitudes and practices were identified. Some barriers and enablers of pain care in the South African prehospital setting were identified but further research is indicated.

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Acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa: A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey

10.21203/rs.2.12353/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Andrit Lourens ◽

Peter Hodkinson ◽

Romy Parker

Keyword(s):

Pain Management ◽

Acute Pain ◽

Emergency Care ◽

Pain Assessment ◽

Prehospital Setting ◽

Western Cape ◽

Care Providers ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background: Acute pain is frequently encountered in the prehospital setting, and therefore, is known to be a fundamental aspect of quality emergency care. Research has shown a positive association between pain management practices and health care providers’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards pain. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency care providers in relation to acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: A web-based descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among emergency care providers of all qualifications, using a face-validated Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pain survey. Results: A hundred (n=100) respondents, with a mean age of 34.74 (SD 8.13) years and mean of 10.02 (SD 6.47) years of experience participated. Most respondents were male (69%), employed in the public/government sector (93%) as operational emergency care providers (85%) with 54% (n=54) of respondents having attended medical education on pain assessment and management in the last two years. The overall mean percentage of correct answers for knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among emergency care providers was 58.01% (SD 15.66) with gaps identified in various aspects of pain and pain management including: basic knowledge of pain physiology; pain assessment; indicators of severe pain; pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management; culture and spiritual influences; and pain expression. Practitioners with a higher qualification, more years’ experience and those who did not attend medical education on pain, achieved higher overall scores. Pain scores were not assigned to patients’ as self-reported while overall, limited pain relief was provided. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is suboptimal knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among most levels of emergency care qualifications. Pain education is essential, it should occur regularly, and specific educational initiatives aimed at addressing pain knowledge and attitudes have been indicated. Future work should focus on the additional description of the gaps in pain knowledge and attitudes among emergency care providers and exploring the decline over time. Description of barriers to and enablers of pain care in the South African prehospital setting is imperative. Organisational culture should endorse and monitor prehospital pain care.

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Acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa: A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey

10.21203/rs.2.12353/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Andrit Lourens ◽

Peter Hodkinson ◽

Romy Parker

Keyword(s):

Acute Pain ◽

Emergency Care ◽

Pain Assessment ◽

Prehospital Setting ◽

Western Cape ◽

Care Providers ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Pain Knowledge ◽

Pain Care ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background: Acute pain is frequently encountered in the prehospital setting, and therefore, is known to be a fundamental aspect of quality emergency care. Research has shown a positive association between pain management practices and health care providers’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards pain. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency care providers in relation to acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa. The specific objectives were to, identify gaps in pain knowledge; assess attitudes regarding pain assessment and management, describe pain assessment and management behaviours and practices and identify barriers to and enablers of pain care. Methods: A web-based descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among emergency care providers of all qualifications, using a face-validated Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pain survey. Results: The mean age of respondents (n=100), was 34.74 (SD 8.13) years and the mean years’ experience 10.02 (SD 6.47). Most respondents were male (69%), employed in the public/government sector (93%) as operational emergency care providers (85%) with 54% of respondents having attended medical education on pain assessment and management in the last two years. The overall mean percentage for knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among emergency care providers was 58.01% (SD 15.66) with gaps identified in various aspects of pain and pain care. Practitioners with a higher qualification, more years’ experience and those who did not attend medical education on pain, achieved higher overall scores. Alcohol and drug use by patients were the most commonly selected barrier to pain care while the availability of higher qualified practitioners was the most frequently selected enabler. Practitioners did not assign pain scores as self-reported by patients while overall, limited pain relief was provided. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is suboptimal knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among most emergency care providers. Further, gaps in pain knowledge, attitudes and practices were identified and can be addressed in undergraduate curricula and through tailored educational initiatives for qualified practitioners Some barriers and enablers of pain care in the South African prehospital setting were identified but further research is indicated to explore.

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Acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa: A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Survey

10.21203/rs.2.12353/v4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrit Lourens ◽

Peter Hodkinson ◽

Romy Parker

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Emergency Care ◽

Pain Assessment ◽

Prehospital Setting ◽

Western Cape ◽

Care Providers ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

The Mean ◽

Pain Care ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background: Acute pain is frequently encountered in the prehospital setting, and therefore, a fundamental aspect of quality emergency care. Research has shown a positive association between health care providers’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards pain and pain management practices. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency care providers regarding acute pain assessment and management in the prehospital setting, in the Western Cape, South Africa. The specific objectives were to, identify gaps in pain knowledge; assess attitudes regarding pain assessment and management; describe pain assessment and management behaviours and practices; and identify barriers to and enablers of pain care. Methods: A web-based descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among emergency care providers of all qualifications, using a face-validated Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pain survey. Results: Responses of 100 participants was included in the analysis. The survey response rate could not be calculated. The mean age of respondents was 34.74 (SD8.13) years and the mean years’ experience 10.02 (SD6.47). Most respondents were male (69%), employed in the public/government sector (93%) as operational practitioners (85%) with 54% of respondents having attended medical education on pain care in the last two years. The mean percentage for knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among emergency care providers was 58.01% (SD15.66) with gaps identified in various aspects of pain and pain care. Practitioners with higher qualifications, more years’ experience and those who did not attend medical education on pain, achieved higher scores. Alcohol and drug use by patients were the most selected barrier to pain care while the availability of higher qualified practitioners was the most selected enabler. When asked to record pain scores, practitioners were less inclined to assign scores which were self-reported by the patients in the case scenarios. The participant dropout rate was 35%. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is suboptimal knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among emergency care providers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Further, gaps in pain knowledge, attitudes and practices were identified. Some barriers and enablers of pain care in the South African prehospital setting were identified but further research is indicated.

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