Improving Clinician’s Pain Assessment, Documentation and Analgesic Prescription Practices

Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines on pain assessment, clinicians rarely assess pain and document pain ratings 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 lack or have inadequate knowledge and experience in using them. This analytical cross-sectional study sought to assess whether a continuous medical education (CME) session on pain assessment followed by displaying pain assessment tools in clinical duty stations would improve clinicians’ pain rating. The study found minimal improvement in pain rating and appropriate prescription among clinicians in all wards. There was no statistically significant difference between participants who received the modified tool and those who received the comparator tool. The results suggest that a single CME and displaying pain measurements in clinical rooms may not adequately empower clinicians with the knowledge and ability to assess, document and appropriately manage pain. Larger and forward studies with longer follow-up times are needed to examine the context-specific impact of the CMEs and correlates of retention of acquired knowledge and translation into practice.