Abstract
Objective: To determine knowledge, beliefs, and barriers regarding pain management in both high- and low-income countries (according to the WHO classification); and to learn about ways to improve the current state of affairs.
Design: Descriptive survey.
Setting/Subjects: Fifty-six countries worldwide; convenience sample of 1639 consisted of 36.8% physicians; 45.1% nurses, and 4.5% pharmacists employed in varied settings.
Results: Improved pain management services are key elements. Top barriers include religion factors, lack of appropriate education and training at all levels, nonadherence to guidelines, patients' reluctance to report on pains, over regulation associated with prescribing and access to opioid analgesics, fear of addiction to opioids, and lack of discussions around prognosis and treatment planning.
Conclusion: The majority of patients with cancer in low-income countries are undertreated for their pain. Promoting cancer pain accredited program of training and education on pain management for physicians and nurses is crucial, as well as advocating policymakers and the public at large.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1243-1248 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Palliative Medicine |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 8 |
Early online date | 18 Apr 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 27 Jul 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors thank Professor Tomoko Majima, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan, for her ongoing advice and support, which helped design this global survey.
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2022, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Keywords
- cancer
- global
- management
- opioids
- pain
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
- General Nursing