Abstracting pain management documentation from the electronic medical record: comparison of three hospitals

Pain management science results are derived from research conducted using medical record.

This article describes methodological issues arising from abstracting pain management documentation (PMD) from the electronic medical record in three hospitals. After approval, PMD data were collected from the patient's history and physical, discharge summary, operative care notes, computerized nursing flow sheets, progress notes, and medication records.

Each acute care facility required a different approach to abstract data. Inconsistent documentation in pain management assessments, interventions, and reassessments were identified across hospitals.

Inconsistencies pose measurement threats and hinder benchmarking efforts. Work to standardize PMD across propriety computer systems is warranted.