KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS TOWARD CANCER PAIN MANAGEMENT - A COMPARISON OF PHYSICIANS, NURSES, AND PHARMACISTS IN THESTATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE

The knowledge and attitudes toward cancer pain management of physician s, nurses, and pharmacists in the state of Neu Hampshire were examined through. the use of a statewide survey. Many of the providers who com pleted the survey, and thus indicated that they treated patients with cancer pain on a regular basis, were not pain or oncology specialists. Most of these providers were quite well informed about the fundamenta ls of cancer pain management. Approximately 90% of providers in all th ree groups were not concerned about addiction among cancer patients. Y et, there was a small percentage of providers who responded in less th an optimal ways to items dealing with opioid pharmacology, pain assess ment, and the importance of pain relief. Comparison of responses among provider groups indicated that nurses were the most knowledgeable and pharmacists thee beast knowledgeable about pain assessment. Physician s were the most knowledgeable regarding opioid pharmacology but seemed the least committed to providing optimal pain relief Further analysis identified a small group of physicians that included a disproportiona tely high percentage of family practitioners and surgeons who consiste ntly responded in less than optimal ways to items dealing with the imp ortance of pain relief The results of this study indicate a continuing need for broad-based educational programs in cancer pain management a nd for new initiatives focused on practitioners who see relatively few cancer patients and may have difficulty accessing traditional educati onal programs. J Pain Symptom Manage 1998;15:335-349. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 1998.