Postoperative pain management—impact of quality assurance and audit documentation on clinical outcome

Abstract

Progress in postoperative clinical pain assessment and management is not only dependent on optimal choice of analgesic drugs and techniques but also of quality assurance of the clinical routines, i.e. the overall organization of the acute pain services. Proper revision of present routines on the basis of accepted quality assurance standards and practice guidelines on pain management is an essential part of improved postoperative pain management. The present survey reflects the impact of organizational revision of pain management routines on the audit of pain management and on the attitudes of staff members involved in the acute pain service. Monitoring and documentation of relevant audit variables are essential and such outcome variables should continuously be analysed and constitute a feedback channel between all staff members involved in the APS so that remaining problems can be identified and properly managed.