Pain Perception and Satisfaction with Cancer-Related Pain Management in Patients and Family Caregivers

Family members play a crucial role in the care of patients with cancer. Ensuring consistency between the perceptions of patients and their family members regarding pain and its treatment outcomes facilitates the administration of analgesics by the family members at home, thereby influencing the effectiveness of pain management.

This study explored the perceptions of patients with cancer and their primary family caregivers toward cancer-related pain and satisfaction with pain management. It examined the differences between patients and family members in terms of pain perception, pain relief, pain interference, and satisfaction with pain management.

In this cross-sectional comparative study, convenience sampling was used to recruit 40 dyads of patients with cancer-related pain and their primary family caregivers from the inpatient wards of an oncology medical center. The main research instruments used were the Short-Form Brief Pain Inventory and the American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire.

Significant differences were observed between patients and family members in terms of the perceptions of least pain (t = -5.20, p < .001), pain at the time of interview (t = -5.57, p < .001), average pain (t = -2.50, p < .05), and pain interference (t = -4.21, p < .001), with family members consistently reporting higher levels of pain. No significant differences were observed in terms of satisfaction with pain management provided by nurses (p > .05) or physicians (p > .05).

Pain is a subjective experience. In home care settings, family members may overestimate the patient's level of pain and pain interference.