• C C Corizzo, M C Baker, and G C Henkelmann.
• St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Covington, LA, USA. ccorizzo@stph.org
• Oncol Nurs Forum. 2000 Sep 1;27(8):1279-86.

Purpose/ObjectivesTo describe patient outcomes (e.g., pain intensity and relief, satisfaction, expectations) and analgesic practices of healthcare providers for inpatients and outpatients in community hospital settings.DesignDescriptive, correlational, and random sampling.SettingThree community-based institutions in southeast Louisiana.Sample114 inpatients and outpatients with cancer-related or acute postoperative pain. Inpatients (n = 68) mostly were women and younger than 60 years of age. Outpatients (n = 46) mostly were men and older than 60 years of age. Both groups were predominantly well-educated and Caucasian.MethodsSubjects completed a modified version of the American Pain Society's Patient Satisfaction Survey. Researchers completed a chart audit tool reviewing analgesic prescriptive and administrative practices.FindingsWeak to moderately strong correlations existed for the relationships between the satisfaction variables and the pain intensity, pain relief, and expectation variables for all subjects. Satisfaction with current pain intensity was correlated most strongly with pain intensity and relief scores. Higher pain intensity and relief were related to lower satisfaction with current pain intensity.ConclusionsRegardless of setting or pain type, subjects experienced significant amounts of pain during a 24-hour period. Patient expectations for experiencing high levels of pain were realized, but expectations for significant pain relief were not.Implications For Nursing PracticeInstitutional pain management programs that approach pain from a multidimensional perspective need to be developed. Continued education for healthcare professionals and patients is a vital part of this process.

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