University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Description

Demonstrating how an interdisciplinary educational intervention on pain can enhance healthcare providers' knowledge and improve pain assessment and management

Goal

To evaluate knowledge improvement and self-efficacy in pain assessment and management (PAM) of Interdisciplinary healthcare providers (IHCP) after delivering an interdisciplinary educational intervention; 2) To evaluate the impact of educational intervention on pain assessment.

Measures

Using a mixed/methods approach, two studies were completed. 1) Educational intervention evaluation: Pre/post survey assessed PAM knowledge improvement and PAM and self efficacy among IHCP who participated in educational intervention. The educational intervention consisted of a standardized Pain assessment and Management lecture presented to IHCP providers caring for patients in the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS). Pre/post educational intervention survey were administered to IHCP for self-efficacy assessment in PAM (S-E Significant score >3, reliability 0.88). 2) Educational intervention impact: Randomized sample of 400 patients admitted to STVHCS were obtained. Pain scores were compared pre/post EI.

Data Collected

Demographic information of IHCP: gender, ethnicity and discipline

IHCP Pre and post intervention pain knowledge questionnaire and self efficacy of participating IHCP. Inpatient pain scores Pre/post educational intervention

Summary of Results: What Worked and Why

Educational Intervention evaluation: total participants=47, 60% female, ethnicity: 53% White, 19% Hispanic. Disciplines: Nursing 62%, medicine 30%, Social work/chaplaincy 8%. 38% worked at surgical wards and 30% at medical wards. 70% were non-trainees. Nurses had the highest perceived self-efficacy in PAM (3.83). Outpatient clinic staff had the least self-efficacy in PAM (2.82). Knowledge improvement was seen in all subjects pre/post tests (p=0.001). 2) Educational intervention impact: Randomized sample of 400 patients of STVHCS were obtained. Pain scores were compared pre/post educational intervention. Pain documentation by IHCP improved after educational intervention (p<0.001).

Conclusions

When seeking to improve Palliative care Education and pain assessment and management a standardized educational intervention given by interdisciplinary palliative care team can significantly enhance knowledge and improve PAM of the IHCP. There were differences in the recognition of pain assessment and management self-efficacy among disciplines and care settings.

What Worked and Why

The educational intervention was standard and given by members of the palliative care team to the IHCP at their convenience. The educational intervention provided was sufficient for IHCP to adjust their current practice and improve pain assessment.