Managing Pain in Low Resource Settings: Healthcare Professionals’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Pain Management in Western Nepal

BACKGROUND: Pain is a public health problem and affects millions of people globally. Effective pain management is possible through comprehensive pain management guidelines, adequate facilities, and trained healthcare professionals. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding pain management in Western Nepal. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in hospitals of Pokhara, Nepal. Healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, were enrolled. Tools for the study were “The Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP)” and a validated practice-based questionnaire. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were used to describe the outcomes. Kruskal–Wallis H-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to analyze the association between the mean rank of KASRP score and sample characteristics. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant for all statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of 336 healthcare professionals were enrolled in this study (108 medical doctors, 150 nurses, and 78 pharmacists). The mean KASRP scores (% ± SD) obtained by doctors, pharmacists, and nurses were 58.48±8.98, 53.01±7.80, and 52.26±6.39, respectively. A significant difference was found between the KASRP score and sample characteristics (p<0.001). The pain assessment tool is used by 96 (29%) healthcare professionals every time they meet the patients. Doctors and nurses used it more frequently as compared to pharmacists. Many of the pharmacists, 40 (51%), reported that they counsel the patients on the prescribed medicine (analgesics, NSAIDs, and opioids) every time. As only few participants had already attended a training on pain management, most healthcare professionals, 110 (33%), agreed and 198 (59%) strongly agreed that training related to pain management is needed in Nepal CONCLUSION: Adequate training and support are required to enhance the knowledge, attitude and ultimately better practice for healthcare professionals regarding pain management in Nepal.