[Perioperative Pain Management - Patient Information, Informed Consent and Discharge Management]

Many surgical procedures are followed by postoperative pain. Acute pain should be treated optimally for medical and ethical reasons. Different psychological, physical, interventional and pharmacological methods are employed in a procedure specific and institution specific matter. For optimum patient care, implementation of acute pain management concepts in recommendations on quality management in German hospitals and outpatient clinics was enacted in September 2020 by Gemeinsamer Bundessausschuss (G-BA). Implementation of discharge management had already been enacted in 2017 for structured prescription of medication after hospital discharge, among other things. On the other hand, new national and international developments require a new weighting of pharmacotherapy in particular. Examples include debates on the safe use of metamizol and the opioid crisis in the US. To address these issues adjustments in informed consent and patient information and education are necessary. This includes also the information and education of caregivers. This article describes the legal framework, technical solutions and the impact of placebo and nocebo effects on doctor-patient communication.