Anesthesia & Clinical Research
Open Access

Abstract

Healthcare providers knowledge, attitude, practice and associated factors towards pain management at Debremarkos referral hospital, Gojjam, Northwest Ethiopia

Worku Mekonnen Sefefe*, Girma Alem Getie, Wubetu Woyraw Wondie, Temesgen Agegnehu Abebe, Abatneh Feleke Agegnehu and Endale Gebreegziabher Gebremedhn

Background: Pain is one of the most common health problems worldwide, particularly in resource limited settings. Undertreated postoperative increases in the length of hospital stay of patients and perioperative complications, and patient dissatisfaction with medical care. This study aimed to assess the healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and associated factors towards pain management at Debremarkos referral hospital, 2019.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. After data was checked for completeness, coded, entered in to Epi data 3.1, and transformed to SPSS version 20 statistical software for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model used to identify the variables which had association with the dependent variable.

Results: Out of 381 Healthcare Workers (HCWs), 346 were included in the study with a response rate of 90.8%. The majority (n=185, 53.3%) of study participants had inadequate knowledge about pain management. Medical doctors (94.5%, n=69/73) were the most knowledgeable professionals followed by anesthetist (92.8%, n=13/14) and lastly pharmacist (21.4%, n=6/28). The majority of the respondents (n=177, 51.3%) had unfavorable attitude towards pain management. Additionally, most of the respondents (77.5%) had poor pain management practice. Access for pain assessment tool (AOR=11.02, CI=2.82-43.00) and workload (AOR=12.50, CI=5.52-28.31) had association with pain management practice. Moreover, 217 (62.7%) of the respondents didn’t assess the patients after analgesia drug administration.

Conclusion: The majority of health professionals had a significant deficit on knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare providers towards pain management. It is recommended that refreshing courses, seminars and short or long term training on pain assessment and management should be given to the HCWs. Moreover, training on the pharmacology of analgesic drugs, and patient evaluation or monitoring before and after analgesic drug administration, and as well as the management of adverse effects should be provided.

Published Date: 2021-11-02; Received Date: 2021-10-13