title: Impact of an educational program on pain management in patients with cancer living at home.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of an educational homecare program on pain relief in patients with advanced cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental (pretest post-test, nonequivalent group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four community-based primary care centers providing social and healthcare services in the Quebec City region of Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 homecare patients with advanced cancer who were free of cognitive impairment, who presented with pain or were taking analgesics to relieve pain, and who had a life expectancy of six weeks or longer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The educational intervention included information regarding pain assessment and monitoring using a daily pain diary and the provision of specific recommendations in case of loss of pain control. Pain intensity data were collected prior to the intervention, and reassessments were made two and four weeks later. Data on beliefs were collected at baseline and two weeks. All data were collected by personal interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients beliefs about the use of opioids; average and maximum pain intensities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients beliefs regarding the use of opioids were modified successfully following the educational intervention. Average pain was unaffected in the control group and was reduced significantly in patients who received the educational program. The reduction remained after controlling for patients initial beliefs. Maximum pain decreased significantly over time in both the experimental and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An educational intervention can be effective in improving the monitoring and relief of pain in patients with cancer living at home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Homecare nurses can be trained to effectively administer the educational program during their regular homecare visits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. michele.aubin@mfa.ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aubin
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vézina
authors.forename: Raymonde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parent
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fillion
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: Rénald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Anik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giguère
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010045:Outpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid