Hospitals continue to give inadequate pain advice, study shows
A study of New York hospitals reveals that the majority of patients did not receive pain relief as recommended by federal agencies. Conducted by the group IPRO, researchers reviewed the preoperative, surgical, and postoperative pain management of 220 people admitted for knee or hip replacement surgeries. IPRO found that only 13 percent of those people were given information about pain treatment, when federal regulations mandate that 80 percent of clients receive such information. The regulations also require that 80 percent of patients get "pain evaluations" the same day and the day after surgery. The study found that only 51 percent were evaluated the day of surgery and 45 percent the day after. According to the federal guidelines, hospitals should offer 80 percent of patients the option of non-drug pain treatments, such as biofeedback, relaxation therapies, and hypnosis. IPRO reports that only 11 percent of the 220 persons were offered such treatments. Dr. Charles Stimler, IPRO clinical coordinator, says that clients should not be shy in voicing concerns about pain treatment. "Patients can take the lead in alleviating their own pain if they know what to expect after surgery and how to communicate with medical and nursing staff," he said. It is all good and well for medical clients to be assertive, but when do medical personnel take responsibility for administering appropriate care?
(Reuters, Oct. 28, 1997)
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