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Physicians' attitudes toward pain in children
Insights
Physician attitudes toward pediatric pain, including concerns about narcotic addiction, influence pain management. Pediatricians are more likely to treat children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Pain Management
- Medical Education
Background:
- Adults receive more analgesics than children in hospitals.
- Physician attitudes toward pediatric pain are not well understood.
- Understanding these attitudes may explain prescribing disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess physicians' attitudes toward pain in children.
- To identify factors influencing analgesic prescribing for pediatric patients.
- To explain why children receive less pain medication than adults.
Main Methods:
- Survey of pediatricians, family practitioners, and surgeons in Hartford.
- Assessed physician attitudes regarding pediatric pain perception and analgesic use.
- Analyzed demographic and practice variables' impact on attitudes.
Main Results:
- 75% of physicians believed children experience adult-like pain by age 2.
- 38% expressed concern about narcotic addiction in young patients.
- Pediatricians were more likely than surgeons/family practitioners to perceive adult-like pain in younger children and prescribe analgesics earlier.
- Specialty significantly influenced attitudes, while demographics had minimal impact.
Conclusions:
- Physician attitudes, particularly specialty-related differences and addiction concerns, contribute to disparities in pediatric pain management.
- Pediatricians show more favorable attitudes towards earlier and more liberal analgesic use in children.
- Further research into physician education on pediatric pain is warranted to improve treatment outcomes.
Abstract:
Physicians' attitudes toward pain in children were assessed in an attempt to explain why adults are administered more analgesics than children while in the hospital. A survey was conducted of all pediatricians, family practitioners, and surgeons in Hartford. Fifty-seven percent of the sample responded (112/195). Seventy-five percent of the sample felt that children experienced adult-like pain by age 2. Thirty-eight percent of the physicians were somewhat or significantly concerned about the risk of addiction when using narcotics in their young patients. Pediatricians were significantly more likely than surgeons or family practitioners to see younger children as having adult-like pain and to prescribe analgesics for children at an earlier age. Many other attitudinal differences were also related to specialty. Other demographic variables (age, sex, mode of practice, and personal experience with pain) had little effect on attitudes. These findings suggest possible explanations for the discrepancy between child and adult analgesic prescribing practices.