Abstract
Purpose
Acute pain management services (APMS) evolved in response to the desire for improved management of postoperative pain. The management of postoperative pain received formal support from international organizations over the past decade and by 1993 half of the Canadian university-affiliated teaching hospitals had implemented an APMS. The purpose of this survey was to describe APMSs in Canadian academic institutions, with specific emphasis on postoperative analgesics, new analgesic methods, training and research.
Methods
Between June 2000 and January 2001, 62 Canadian hospitals affiliated with the 16 Canadian university anesthesiology departments were sent a postal questionnaire.
Results
Fifty of the 62 respondents returned a completed questionnaire representing a response rate of 81%. Eighty percent of the hospitals surveyed had at least 200 beds, 90% (45) had implemented an APMS. Anesthesiology was primarily responsible in all 45 hospitals with an APMS. The results presented are based on the 45 centres with an APMS.
Conclusion
Since the early 1990s the percent of Canadian academic hospitals with an APMS has increased from 53% to 92%. These figures are comparable to the United States. Greater collaboration from nursing and pharmacy, mandatory training for medical and nursing students and residents, and a standardized approach to continuous quality improvement remain necessary.
Résumé
Objectif
Des services de traitement de la douleur aiguë (STDA) ont été mis sur pied pour répondre au besoin d’améliorer le traitement de la douleur postopératoire. Le traitement de la douleur postopératoire a reçu le soutien formel d’organismes internationaux pendant la dernière décennie et en 1993, la moitié des hôpitaux d’enseignement canadiens affiliés à des universités ont développé des STDA. Nous avons voulu décrire les STDA et mettre l’accent sur les analgésiques postopératoires, les nouvelles méthodes d’analgésie, la formation et la recherche.
Méthode
Entre juin 2000 et janvier 2001, nous avons posté un questionnaire à 62 hôpitaux canadiens affiliés à 16 départements d’anesthésie universitaires.
Résultats
Des répondants de 50 des 62 centres visés ont retourné un questionnaire rempli, ce qui représente un taux de réponse de 81 %. Quatrevingt pour cent des hôpitaux étudiés avaient au moins 200 lits, 90 % (45) avaient un STDA. L’anesthésiologie était principalement responsable de ces STDA. Nous présentons les données obtenues de ces 45 centres.
Conclusion
Depuis le début des années 1990, le pourcentage d’hôpitaux universitaires canadiens qui ont un STDA a augmenté de 53 % à 92 %. Le cas est similaire aux États-Unis. Par ailleurs, une collaboration plus importante des services de soins infirmiers et de la pharmacie, une formation obligatoire pour les étudiants en soins infirmiers et en médecine et les résidents, et une démarche normalisée d’amélioration continue de la qualité demeurent nécessaires.
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Financial support: Queen’s University Research Initiation Grant.
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Goldstein, D.H., VanDenKerkhof, E.G. & Blaine, W.C. Acute pain management services have progressed, albeit insufficiently in Canadian academic hospitals. Can J Anesth 51, 231–235 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03019101
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03019101