ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Pain relief is a basic human right and an ethical issue involving all health professionals. This study aimed at describing what professionals of a multidisciplinary hospital team know about pain and analgesia.
METHODS:
This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with quantitative approach, carried out at the Teaching Hospital of the Federal University of Sergipe. Sample was made up of 33 physicians, 26 nurses, 10 physiotherapists, 8 pharmacists and 5 psychologists. Data collection tool was a self-applied questionnaire encompassing knowledge about definitions and types of pain, evaluation and measurement, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management, and professional qualification in pain. Data were analyzed by simple descriptive statistics and are presented as tables.
RESULTS:
Participants of the study were predominantly females (72.0%), young adults (40.2%), with residence as maximum qualification (53.7%). Pain was considered discomfort/unpleasant sensation (46.3%) and chronic pain was defined as a symptom 48.8%). Only one professional reported using multimodal treatment for pain relief. Most professionals stated having acquired knowledge about pain and analgesia after graduation (79.3%) and that they feel the need for specific qualification (70.7%).
CONCLUSION:
This study has provided a situational diagnosis of the knowledge of the multiprofessional team of the hospital, showing that there is inconsistency between participants’ theoretical basis and their role in handling pain and humanizing assistance.
Keywords:
Analgesia; Health; Knowledge; Pain; Pain measurement