Utilization of Pain Rating Scales in Peadiatric Care Among Health Professionals in A Tertiary Children’s Hospital in Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The study assessed utilization of pain rating scales at a children’s hospital as a basis for making recommendation for their adoption by the ministry of health, Kenya. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, conducted in a tertiary children’s hospital in Nairobi-Kenya. Data was collected using semi- structured self-administered questionnaire, key informant interview guide (KII) and observation check list from a sample size of 160 Health Professionals and 71 patients’ medical records sampled from a study population of 280 Health professionals and 88 patients’ medical records. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics where by data was summarized using frequency tables and presented using pie chart, and bar graphs. A content analysis was performed on qualitative data based on stages of qualitative data analysis.Results: The hospital was found to have adopted four pain rating scales which included Neonatal guide score, FLACC, Wong Baker faces scale, and Numerical pain scale. Utilization of these tools among Health Professionals was found to be excellent, with nurses being the main health professionals who utilized them at 99%. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study aims at improving pain management in child health care in Kenya, where many paediatric units do not assess and measure pain in paediatric patients. Though nurses were the main Health Professionals who utilized pain rating scales in the hospital, inclusion of pain guidelines in all patient’s medical records would promote their utilization among other Health Professionals