Assessment of pain

Objective: To present data on knowledge and attitudes toward pain assessment among health care providers in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This exploratory study required at least 100 participants to attain an effect size of 0.2 or larger. A convenience sample was recruited from the major hospitals in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia; King Fahad Hospital, Ohud Hospital, Alansar Hospital, Almeqat Hospital, and the Maternity Hospital. Data collection occurred between January and April 2014. Knowledge of pain assessment was examined by administering the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain.

Results: Data from 105 participants was collected. Seventy-three participants scored 44% or below (69.5%), and 32 participants scored 45% and above (30.5%). Additionally, only 6 participants (5.7%) scored above 60%. There were significant differences between male and female scores (p=0.05), physicians’ and nurses’ scores (p=0.001), and level of education (p=0.009). There were no significant differences in the passing scores across means of nationality, the department where participants worked, years of experience, and age of participants.

Conclusion: There is a deficit in pain assessment knowledge, and pain management in the study group. Continuous education on pain assessment is required to increase the health care providers’ knowledge, and enhance their practices regarding pain assessment and treatment.