PERCEIVED BARRIERS REGARDING PAIN MANAGEMENT AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

Background:  A key element of healthcare is effective pain management because it immediately improves patients' comfort and general well-being. Objective: This study identifies perceived barriers to pain management among healthcare professionals. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey involving 120 healthcare professionals was carried out at the tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. This investigation used a convenient sampling strategy. A valid and reliable instrument was employed to gather the data. Result: The survey data reveals significant barriers healthcare professionals face in pain management. These include patient hemodynamic instability (10.8%), patient communication issues (18.3%), high workload (15.8%), sedation interference (26.7%), lack of familiarity with assessment tools (27.5%), absence of protocols (19.2%), and unavailability of pain assessment tools (37.5%). Conclusion: In summary, there are numerous important obstacles that healthcare providers must overcome in order to effectively treat pain. Patient hemodynamic instability, difficulty communicating, a severe workload, interference from sedation, unfamiliarity with assessment tools, unclear protocols and guidelines, and a lack of pain assessment tools are all examples of these hurdles. In order to guarantee the best possible patient care, these issues must be resolved. A crucial suggestion to address these obstacles is the execution of all-encompassing pain management instruction and training initiatives for medical practitioners.