Pain Services in the Netherlands: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study on Organisation, Tasks and Responsibilities

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Healthcare Services Research
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Acute and transitional pain services play a crucial role in patient recovery and quality of life.
• Understanding the current landscape of these services in the Netherlands is essential for identifying areas of improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the organization, tasks, and responsibilities of acute and transitional pain services in Dutch hospitals.
• To identify challenges and opportunities for optimizing pain management care.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted.
• The questionnaire targeted representatives of Dutch hospital pain services involved in inpatient surgery.
• Data on organization, staffing, education, roles, tasks, and responsibilities were collected and descriptively analyzed.

Main Results:

• 92.2% of hospitals have an acute pain service, while only 6.5% have a transitional pain service.
• Most services are part of anesthesiology departments, staffed by anesthesiologists and nurses.
• Acute pain services monitor complex pain techniques and provide training; transitional pain services focus on post-discharge opioid use and follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Acute pain services are well-established, but transitional pain services are limited in the Netherlands.
• Significant challenges exist in staffing, service organization, and education.
• Future efforts should focus on optimizing staffing, expanding transitional pain services, defining the pain nurse role, and establishing national education standards.