Improving Pain Assessment, Documentation and Analgesic Prescription Practices Among Clinicians

Abstract

Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines on pain assessment, clinicians do not adequately use pain-scoring tools to assess pain and document pain scores in patients’ clinical notes. This is partly because pain assessment tools may not always be available in clinical areas. However, even when available, clinicians may not have adequate knowledge and experience in using them. This analytical cross-sectional study sought to assess whether a CME on pain assessment followed by displaying pain assessment tools in clinical duty stations would improve clinicians’ pain rating, documentation, and analgesic prescription practices at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. The primary outcome was improved documentation of pain scoring and pain severity rating over time. The study found a short-lived improvement in pain rating and analgesic prescription. The results suggest that rooted knowledge of pain assessment could be more beneficial in empowering clinicians to perform and document pain assessment sustainably.