Qualitative assessment of hospitalized patients' satisfaction with pain management

Patient evaluations of effectiveness of care and satisfaction with care are useful outcome indicators of pain management. The subjective, multidimensi onal nature of pain is best evaluated when outcome measures include the ric hness of qualitative data to more fully capture the range of patient experi ences. A descriptive qualitative component was added to the American Pain S ociety Patient Outcome Questionnaire-Modified (1995) to determine critical indicators in the pain experience affecting patient satisfaction. Four them es emersed from the data as factors affecting patient satisfaction or dissa tisfaction: Patient Pain Experience, Patient Views of Health Care Providers , Patient Pain Management Experiences, and Pain Management Outcomes. The re sult is a typology of factors affecting patient reports of satisfaction. Sa tisfaction was most likely when providers effectively addressed pain contro l with the patient as an informed partner. Patients expressed dissatisfacti on, even when pain was relieved, when providers appeared uncaring, were slo w to respond, or lacked knowledge and skill. Our results offer clinicians n ew insights into how patients respond to pain, which could enable developme nt of Patient-oriented approaches to pain management improving quality and effectiveness of care and increasing patient satisfaction. (C) 2000 John Wi ley & Sons, Inc.