Patients' Active Participation in Postoperative Pain Management in an Urban Hospital of Vietnam: Implications for Patient Empowerment.

Active participation in pain management is vital to improve postoperative pain outcomes. However, this issue has not been fully examined in Vietnam. This study aimed to examine the active participation of patients in pain management after surgery, as well as explore its effect on acute postoperative pain.A hospital-based survey on 245 patients after surgery was conducted. Information about demographic and clinical characteristics, pain intensity and active participation in pain management was collected. Multivariate regression models were utilized to determine the associations.53.9% of patients reported that they were informed about the postoperative pain relief method before surgery. One-third (33.5%) of patients selected preferred pain relief methods; 46.1% reported that they asked physicians when feeling pain immediately after surgery; 49.8% asked physicians when pain was not relieved after taking medications, and 52.2% asked physicians for their current pain in the time of interview. Age and occupation were found to be positively associated with active participation score. Patients being informed about the postoperative pain relief method before surgery had 0.87 points higher than those not receiving explanation (Coef. = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.49-1.26). Patients with high active participation scores were more likely to have pain improvement (OR = 3.41, 95%CI = 2.37-4.92).This study highlights a low level of active participation in postoperative pain management among Vietnamese patients. Routinely providing information about pain control before surgery, and encouraging patients to actively participate in pain management are essential to improve postoperative pain outcomes.

Postoperative Pain Management among Registered Nurses in a Vietnamese Hospital.

This study examined the postoperative pain management practices among registered nurses in an urban hospital in Vietnam. Data of 90 nurses about postoperative pain management practices and pain management at the department were collected. Results indicated that 83.3% of nurses reported that they regularly assessed the degree of pain for postoperative patients. Only 32.2% used assessment tools such as the numeric rating scale to measure pain. Experience in pain management and having guidelines in the department were associated with a higher score in pain management practice. Findings suggested that facilitating the use of pain instruments and developing pain management guidelines should be prioritized.