Bedside charting of pain levels in hospitalized patients with cancer: a randomized controlled trial.
Despite advances in the technology of cancer pain assessment and control, cancer pain often remains undertreated even in hospital settings. To determine whether a graphical display of cancer patients' pain levels might improve their treatment, the investigators conducted a randomized controlled trial. Patients assigned to the intervention group (N = 40) had periodic pain assessments by study staff, who graphically recorded their reported pain-intensity levels on bedside wall charts. Control group patients (N = 38) had periodic pain assessments by study staff but did not have this information displayed. The results failed to show a significant beneficial effect of the intervention on pain control, sleep, cancer-related symptoms, or analgesic dosing, but confidence intervals were broad. More research is needed to improve the quality of care for inpatients with cancer-related pain.
Kravitz
R L
RL
Department of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento 95817, USA.
Delafield
J P
JP
Hays
R D
RD
Drazin
R
R
Conolly
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems