title: Attitude and knowledge of physicians about cancer pain management: young doctors of South Korea in their early career.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is aimed at evaluating the attitude and knowledge about the optimal use of opioids and finding out the barriers to cancer pain management especially for young doctors in South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey through questionnaire form was conducted on 1204 physicians. Physicians were grouped by their medical specialties and personal characteristics. Specialties were grouped into internal medicine and family medicine doctors, surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, other board holders and general physicians. Personal characteristics were grouped by their past experiences and current surroundings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Though many doctors thought that they were fairly well educated for pain management strategy, a large population of physicians showed a negative attitude and inadequate knowledge status about cancer pain management. The degree of attitude and knowledge status was different as their specialties and personal experiences. The factors that affected doctors' attitude and knowledge were: (i) medical specialty, (ii) past history of using practical pain assessment tool, (iii) self-perception of knowledge status about pain management, (iv) experience of prescribing opioids, (v) experience of education for cancer pain management. Although many physicians had a passive attitude in prescribing opioid analgesics, they are willingly open to use opioids for cancer pain management in the future. The most important perceived barriers to optimal cancer pain management were the fear for risk of tolerance, drug addiction, side effects of opioid analgesics and knowledge deficit about opioid analgesics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From this study, we found that further education and practical training will be needed for adequate cancer pain management for young physicians in their early career.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Information and Education Branch, National Cancer Center, National Cancer Control Research Institute, 323 Ilsan ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-Si, Gyeonggi-do 410-769, South Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Hyun
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyeonggeun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Eun Chul
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Keeho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003061:Codeine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008614:Meperidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012107:Research Design; D012649:Self Concept; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014147:Tramadol / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D014147:Tramadol; D008614:Meperidine; D005283:Fentanyl; D003061:Codeine