Effective pain management is one of the major concerns in the modern healthcare sector. The appearance of multiple diseases associated with painful symptoms or some chronic states presupposes the use of medications to improve the state of a client and provide him/her with an opportunity to function. In some complex cases, such as among clients with cancer, the selection of the approach to managing pain is vital as it might impact treatment outcomes. For this reason, the paper delves into the selected issue and reveals the importance of education regarding pain treatment for patients who struggle against cancer.
The Spirit of Inquiry Ignited
Cancer is a disease that can affect every cell of the human body and is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells that can divide and invade surrounding tissues. The main types of cancer are carcinoma, sarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma, and malignancy, where each of the types begins in different parts of the body. Cancer can be recognized by specific changes in the body that indicate the disease. Symptoms may include eating problems, such as trouble swallowing or vomiting, severe fatigue, headache, seizures, or vision changes. Skin changes may also be a sign of the disease, such as new moles, or a sore that does not heal. The other important symptom that usually manifests in the latest stages is pain, which is considered one of the most frequently occurring symptoms among patients.
Considering that pain is the most frequent symptom of cancer, it requires attention and investigation. Pain education aims to decrease patient-related barriers that occur due to inadequate pain management. Additionally, there are multiple non-pharmaceutical approaches to dealing with these symptoms and improving the quality of patients’ lives (Blake, 2018). For this reason, it is vital to create an effective approach to improve patients’ states and guarantee their recovery and high quality of life.
The PICOT Question Formulated
In adults with cancer (P), how effective are education programs about pain management and options for pain treatment (I) versus only the pharmacological treatment (C), in improving patient comfort while battling cancer (O) over a 6-month time period (T)?
Search Strategy Conducted
CINAHL was firstly searched using the keywords cancer, pain management, education, patient comfort. It helped to reveal studies related to the issue and provide information about the effectiveness of various pain management strategies. Next, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and TRIP Database were analyzed using the same keywords. National Guidelines Clearinghouse was also investigated in the same way. As a result, both level I and level IV evidence studies were found and included in the research.
Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Performed
The level I evidence presented in the project offers the meta-analysis of data related to the discussed problem of cancer pain and its management (Opioids for cancer pain, n.d.). Additionally, the review of data and statistical analysis by Nicholson et al. (2017) reveals the increased importance of education for patients who are prescribed opioids manage pain. Assessment of pain management performed by Fujii et al. (2016) proves the critical importance of the problem and also admits the positive role of additional knowledge in managing patients with chronic pain. Finally, both Blake (2018) and Deng (2019) emphasize the fact that education and the provision of multiple options contribute to the improvement in patients’ states and their outcomes. In such a way, the collected evidence proves the existence of positive effects.
Evidence Integrated with Clinical Expertise and Patient Preferences to Implement the Best Practice
The project includes the use of supposed measures to achieve desired outcomes and help patients with cancer to struggle against it effectively during the 6-month period. For this reason, the patients with the desired states were included in the research and provided with information about pain management and options. The major idea was to combine their results in a 6-month term with the results of other groups that did not receive the same information. For this reason, the post-intervention outcomes evaluation was used to determine the ability of the proposed measure to generate better outcomes and help patients to cope with pain better. Fifteen individuals aged from 42 to 54 were involved in the study and offered information about the current options and how they can achieve higher comfort levels.
The outcome of Practice Change Evaluated
All fifteen participants engaged in the research demonstrated better outcomes if compare with the groups that were provided only pharmaceutical treatment. They showed higher comfort levels and be possessed more optimistic perspectives on struggling against pain in the future. The outcome of the practice correlates with the selected evidence stating that the provision of education might help to significantly improve the results (Deng, 2019). It means that the given intervention is needed to help clients with cancer and can be used by other specialists working in the same field.
Project Dissemination
The project will be presented to nursing students and colleagues operating in the same field to attract their attention to effective pain management strategies and effective approaches. It can also be offered to local conferences to be discussed by a high number of specialists.
Conclusion
Altogether, pain management remains a critical problem for patients with cancer. The proposed intervention presupposing the provision of additional education for patients might have a positive impact on clients and improve their comfort when battling cancer over a 6-month time period. The existing body of evidence proves the positive correlation between the generation of additional knowledge by clients and their ability to demonstrate better treatment outcomes. For this reason, it is possible to recommend continuing investigations in this sphere.
References
Blake, H. M. (2018). Botanical treatments in cancer pain management. Essentials of Interventional Cancer Pain Management, 503–506. Web.
Deng, G. (2019). Integrative medicine therapies for pain management in cancer patients. The Cancer Journal, 25(5), 343–348. Web.
Fujii, A., Yamada, Y., Takayama, K., Nakano, T., Kishimoto, J., Morita, T., & Nakanishi, Y. (2016). Longitudinal assessment of pain management with the pain management index in cancer outpatients receiving chemotherapy. Supportive Care in Cancer, 25(3), 925–932. Web.
Nicholson, A. B., Watson, G. R., Derry, S., & Wiffen, P. J. (2017). Methadone for cancer pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Web.
Opioids for cancer pain. (n.d.). Web.