[Impact of a brochure on pain destined for thoracic oncology patients].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of a brochure supplied on pain and analgesic treatment on the knowledge, attitude, belief and perception of patients consulting oncology departments.


METHODS
A prospective, comparative, study on patients consulting a thoracic oncology and a general oncology department, suffering from pain and motivating a treatment level > or = to 2 (WHO scale). A group of patients having been given a brochure (case) was compared with a group who had not been given the brochure (controls). The assessment questionnaire, developed according to the KABP (Knowledge, Attitudes, Belief, Practice) method, was distributed to the 2 groups. A second assessment was made 4 weeks after the patients having received the brochure. Visual analog scales (VAS) followed the intensity of the pain.


RESULTS
Twenty-one cases and 33 controls were assessed. There was no modification in their belief (risk of addiction) but an improvement in their knowledge (duration of action of morphine agents, management of treatment, multi-disciplinary management). This improvement in knowledge was accompanied by improved control of pain: 2/3 of the patients exhibited a VAS < 1 at the time of the second assessment versus 1/3 during the initial assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
Improvement, if only partial, in the patients' knowledge of pain and its treatment using a brochure, is one of the routes for optimising the management of pain.
Barlési
Fabrice
F
Université de la Méditerranée (Aix-Marseille II), Faculté de médecine, AP-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Ste-Marguerite, Service d'oncologie thoracique, Marseille (13). fabrice.barlesi@mail.ap-hm.fr
Duffaud
Florence
F
Doddoli
Christophe
C
Gimenez
Céline
C
Auquier
Pascal
P
Favre
Roger
R
Kleisbauer
Jean-Pierre
JP
D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors