ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT SATISFACTION UTILIZING THE AMERICAN-PAIN-SOCIETY QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS ON ACUTE AND CANCER-RELATED PAIN

An evaluation of patient satisfaction with pain management is one component of a total quality assurance program on pain management recommended by the American Pain Society. This study utilized the patient satisfaction survey recommended by the Quality Assurance Committee of the American Pain Society and was conducted in an acute care, municipal hospital. Seventy-two medical-surgical patients were interviewed about their pain management. Data from the survey suggest that while patients experienced moderate-to-severe pain and had to wait relatively long periods of time for pain medications, in most cases they were satisfied with their overall pain management. Recommendations for conducting patient satisfaction surveys of pain management in acute care settings are reviewed, and methods for interpreting data from these types of surveys are discussed.