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Patient-related barriers to management of cancer pain
Sandra E Ward1, Nancy Goldberg, Vickie Miller-McCauley
1University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing (H6/228), Madison, WI 53792 USA Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, WI 54449 USA University of Florida, JHMHC, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA Hematology-Oncology Section, Milwaukee County Medical Complex, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA St. Vincent's Hospital, Medical Oncology (5.511), New York, NY 10011 USA MBR Cancer Center, West Virginia University, Health Science Center, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA University of Iowa Counseling Center, Iowa City, IO 52246 USA Division of Hematology-Oncology, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA.
Abstract:
Patients' reluctance to report pain and to use analgesics are considered major barriers to pain management. To explore this problem, 270 patients with cancer completed a 27-item self-report questionnaire (BQ) that assessed the extent to which they have concerns about reporting pain and using pain medication. The 8 specific concerns included fear of addiction, beliefs that 'good' patients do not complain about pain, and concern about side effects. Patients also completed a measure of pain severity and pain interference (the BPI). The percentages of patients having concerns assessed by the BQ ranged from 37% to 85%. Those who were older, less educated, or had lower incomes were more likely to have concerns. Higher levels of concern were correlated with higher levels of pain. Based on their reports of pain medications used in the past week and on their reports of pain severity, patients were categorized as under-medicated versus adequately medicated. Those who were under-medicated reported significantly higher levels of concern. The data are discussed in terms of implications for research and practice.