Barriers To Optimal Pain Management

Question 1

Developmental/cognitive
Reluctance to report pain
Fear of taking analgesics
Fear of disease progression
Fear of addiction
Need to be a “good patient/family”
Life experience with beliefs and biases

Answer 1

Patient and family barriers

Question 2

Not believing patient; failure to treat
Fear of regulatory scrutiny and media
Concerns for “addiction”
Lack of knowledge related to
- pain as a physiological process
- pharmacological and non pharmacological treatment options
- pain assessment
- cultural impact
Life experience with beliefs and biases

Answer 2

Clinician Barriers

Question 3

Patient populations at greater risk for inadequate pain managment *****

Answer 3

Elderly
Neonates, children
Opioid tolerant patients
Patients with dementia or cognitive impairment
Critically ill, sedated
Minority groups
Women
Patients with Substance use disorders

Question 4

Healthcare system barriers

Answer 4

Insufficient time re: procedures
Inadequate orders or formulary choices
Competing demands on time
Inadequate access to pain management resources
Low priority given to pain management by medical and nursing staff

Question 5

Misinformation
Ineffective communications
- language differences
- literary disparities
- verbal or nonverbal
- cognitive level
- hearing impairment
- hurried/rush conversations
Language-appropriate pain assessment tools

Answer 5

Communication Barriers