Der Anaesthesist
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Small hospitals often lack the financial and personnel resources to realize innovative postoperative pain management concepts. This is not-as shown here-an absolute contradiction. The regular measurement of pain and its documentation by ward nurses as well as the appropriate prescription of analgesics play a key role in our concept. ⋯ The use of PCA and the performance of pain visits at regular intervals increase patient comfort and satisfaction. In addition, it can contribute to reduced hospitalization time in the context of fast-track rehabilitation programs. In our opinion, embedding the measures in a quality management program has a valuable catalytic effect, although implementation takes at least 1-2 years.