Abstract
Poorly controlled postoperative pain has been known to be characterized by longer post-operative care, longer hospital stays with increased readmission rates, and decreased patient satisfaction. Post-operative pain has been continuously addressed in the past three (3) to four (4) decades and has been shown that 20 to 80% of post-operative patients suffer ineffective pain management. The study was aimed at assessing the factors that may predict the satisfaction of patients with early postoperative pain management following abdominal surgeries at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who had undergone abdominal surgeries between October 2019 and December 2019 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Structured questionnaires based on the IPO-Q were used to obtain responses from the patients. Descriptive and Inferential statistical analysis were employed in analyzing the data obtained from the respondents of the study. 138 patients were involved in this study. The mean age of patients in the study was 45.81 (±16.81) years. A higher percentage, 58.7% of the patients were males. 39.1% had completed their tertiary level of education. The majority (50.7%) of the patients had had persistent pain for more than three (3) months. The satisfaction of the patients with the post-operative pain management received was generally high among a significant majority of the patients. Meanwhile, among the factors that influence the satisfaction of the patients with the post-operative pain management received, type of analgesia and pain relief methods (Pearson Coefficient = 0.523, p-value <0.05), patient's ability to request more pain relief, (Pearson Coefficient = 0.29, p-value <0.05), patient's access to information about their pain treatment options from the Nurses (Pearson coefficient = -0.22, p<0.05), were the only predictors of satisfaction in patients. This study found out that patients were generally satisfied with the post-operative pain management offered by their healthcare providers although the degree of satisfaction depended largely on the type of analgesia and pain relief methods, the ability to request for more pain relief, and access to information on pain treatment.
Highlights
Controlled postoperative pain has been known to be characterized by longer postoperative care, longer hospital stays with increased readmission rates, and decreased patient satisfaction
This study found out that patients were generally satisfied with the post-operative pain management offered by their healthcare providers the degree of satisfaction depended largely on the type of analgesia and pain relief methods, the ability to request for more pain relief, and access to information on pain treatment
Negative psychological and physiological outcomes for patients can be the downstream effect that may result in transformation into chronic pain, financial burden impacts on health care systems, and relevant decrement in quality of life of the patient when postoperative pain is under-treated [2,3,4]
Summary
A descriptive cross-sectional design with a quantitative approach was employed in conducting the study in the surgical unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). KATH is a tertiary hospital with a 1200- bed capacity that takes direct referrals from 12 out of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. It receives patients from neighboring countries like Ivory Coast and Eastern Faso. It is the second-largest hospital in the country. The study population comprised patients who were 18 years and above and had undergone general abdominal surgeries within the first 72-hours post-surgery at the surgical wards.
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