Pain Intensity and Satisfaction of Pain Relief in Discharged Cancer Patients: A Large Sample Study in China

Background: Many studies have focused on the quality of pain management in hospitalized patients with cancer pain, while what happens after discharge remains unclear. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the pain intensity and satisfaction of pain relief among a large sample of Chinese patients with cancer pain after discharge. Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational research. Settings and Sample: About: 1,013 patients were recruited in a tertiary cancer hospital, and their residence addresses were distributed in 6 geographical regions, including 26 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Methods: The 1,013 patients with cancer pain were discharged from the wards of a national cancer hospital in China from July 2020 to October 2021. A nurse in the pain clinic followed the patients based on a whole-process information system and collected the data after the cancer pain patients were discharged. The study methods followed the STROBE guidelines. Results: The average age of 1,013 discharged patients was 61.30 ( +/- 12.56) years. Moderate and severe background pain (BGP) was reported in 749 patients (73.94%), and more than 3 instances of breakthrough pain (BTP) in the past 24 hours were reported in 541 patients (53.41%). More severe BGP was associated with more frequent BTP ( p < .01). In addition, there were 572 patients (56.47%) whose satisfaction with pain relief was lower than 70%. More severe BGP was associated with a lower satisfaction degree ( r = -0.796, p < .01). Conclusions: Pain among discharged Chinese patients with cancer is poorly managed, and there is a low degree of satisfaction with pain relief. Nurses can do more work to assist cancer patients in managing pain more effectively by ensuring they have a plan to report and manage pain after discharge.