Professional survey on knowledge and clinical patterns of pain management in Spanish medical oncology

Cancer pain is still not treated adequately. The barriers impeding its appropriate treatment include lack of knowledge, erroneous beliefs and inappropriate attitudes with regard to pain, which are sustained by some or all of those involved in the problem. The present study shows the results of an exploratory survey using a large sample of specialists in clinical oncology. Its main objective is to evaluate daily analgesic practices and compliance with clinical guidelines in order to identify areas that should be improved in this particular therapeutic field. Information collection from the responders was in the form of a self-administered written questionnaire, structured in three thematic areas: clinical patterns and resources used in pain treatment in clinical practice, pain and pain-relief therapy, and theoretical knowledge and decision-making in clinical practice. The study identified those skills that most need improvement in the treatment of pain (scientific and technical knowledge and clinical decision-making capacity of professionals) in order to reduce the unjustified variability in current clinical practice.