Pain audit as a tool to optimize pain treatment in hospital departments
Aggerholm-Pedersen, N.; Jespersen, T.Worsøe.; Olsen, P.Riis.; Zachariae, B.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 175(21): 1491-1495
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 23697567 Document Number: 669023
On March 3 2011 the Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, conducted a cross-sectional pain audit. All patients present at the department were invited to complete a questionnaire about their pain experience, and their medical records were reviewed. The results indicated that patients with probable neuropathic pain reported the highest pain severity levels and experienced the greatest burden of their pain. Most patients with neuropathic pain did not receive any secondary analgesics and their general practitioners were infrequently involved in the treatment. The methods used in the present audit can be transferred to other departments for the benefit of the patients.