PATIENT RELATED BARRIERS TO CANCER PAIN MANAGEMENT IN TAIWAN

The reluctance of patients with cancer to report pain and to use analg esics hinders the management of their pain. In the United States, this reluctance is related to the patient's misconceptions regarding ad di ction and tolerance to analgesics and the desire to be a ''good patien t'' who does not complain. Reports in the literature suggest that pati ents in Taiwan may have these same concerns and misconceptions. This s tudy was designed to explore (a) the concerns of patients in Taiwan ab out reporting pain and using analgesics and (b) the relationship betwe en these concerns and the adequacy of analgesics used by the patients. Sixty-three patients with cancer completed the Barriers Questionnaire -Taiwan (BTQ) form, a self-report instrument that measures the extent to which patients have eight specific concerns about reporting pain an d using analgesics. The responses indicated that patients who were les s educated were more likely to have concerns and that patients in gene ral were most worried about tolerance. Patients who were inadequately medicated, as determined by an index of ''adequate pain management'' c onstructed for the study, had significantly higher levels of concerns. Open communication between health professionals and patients and educ ational programs about pain and about the concerns measured in this st udy could help overcome these concerns and misconceptions and improve pain management.