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. 2023 Jun 21:45:94.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2023.45.94.22563. eCollection 2023.

Patients' satisfaction with post-operative pain management in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Niguse Meles Alema  1 , Solomon Weldegebreal Asgedom  2 , Brhane Gebrehiwot Welegebrial  1 , Tesfay Mehari Atey  2 , Ephrem Mebrahtu Araya  1 , Hagazi Gebremedhin  2 , Desalegn Getnet Demsie  1 , Weldu Mammo Werid  3 , Haylay Araya  1 , Abrahaley Mulu  1 , Gebretekle Gebremichael Hailesilase  1
Affiliations

Patients' satisfaction with post-operative pain management in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Niguse Meles Alema et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

Introduction: surgical patients often suffer from inadequate treatment of post-operative pain which potentially results in numerous adverse medical consequences and is a recurring source of patients' dissatisfaction. Thus, this study aimed to investigate patient's satisfaction with their post-operative pain management and its determinants among surgically treated patients in a specialized hospital within Ethiopia.

Methods: an institutional-based prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the surgical ward of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was an adoption of the 2010 version of the American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire, and by reviewing the medical charts of the patients. A stepwise linear regression model was used to analyze the data.

Results: among the 144 patients approached in this study, 112 (77.8%) of them categorized their postoperative pain as moderate to severe. The mean patient satisfaction with their pain management was 7±2.3 on 0-10 numerical rating scale. Despite high levels of pain, the majority of patients (90.3%, n=131) were moderately or completely satisfied with their pain management. Stepwise linear regression analysis found that the determinants of patients' satisfaction were prior chronic pain, prior surgical history, and substance use (F (3,140) = 5.364, adjusted R2= 0.084, P=0.02).

Conclusion: the patients were moderately and completely satisfied with their pain management in spite of expressing moderate and severe level of pain intensity. Pain still remains a concern among surgical patients, and effective pain management strategies should be practiced to manage pain and its functional interferences more effectively.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Patient satisfaction; pain management; post-operative pain; surgical patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
level of patients' satisfaction in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from March 25th to May 25th, 2017
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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