Implementation of cancer pain guidelines by acute care nurse practitioners using an audit and feedback strategy.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the availability of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for cancer pain, consistent integration of these principles into practice has not been achieved. The optimal method for implementing CPGs and the impact of guidelines on healthcare outcomes remain uncertain. This study evaluated the effect of an audit and feedback (A/F) intervention on nurse practitioner (NP) implementation of cancer pain CPGs and on hospitalized patients' self-report of pain and satisfaction with pain relief.


METHODS
Eight NPs and two groups of 96 patients were the sources of data. Eligible patients in both groups completed the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) within 24 h of admission and every 48 h until discharge. During A/F, NPs received weekly feedback on pain scores and guideline adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurse practitioner adherence to CPGs increased during A/F. Pain intensity did not significantly differ between groups. Intervention group patients reported significantly less overall pain interference (p < .0001), interference with general activity (p = .0003), and sleep (p = .006). Satisfaction with pain relief increased from 68.4% to 95.1% during A/F (p < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
A/F is an effective strategy to promote CPG use. Improved functional status in the absence of decreased pain severity underscores the need to consider symptom clusters when studying pain.
Dulko
Dorothy
D
Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03755, USA. dorothydulko@gmail.com
Hertz
Elisheva
E
Julien
Jerelyn
J
Beck
Susan
S
Mooney
Kathi
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D009731:Nursing Audit / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016037:Single-Blind Method