Using a collaborative research utilization model to develop and test the effects of clinical pathways for pain management

The article reports a study that tested a practical multidisciplinary approach to address the prevailing research-to-practice gap in pain management. By means of a collaborative research utilization model, academic scientists and students from two affiliating colleges of nursing were paired with clinicians from medicine, nursing, social work, pastoral care, and physical therapy to form three partnerships to develop and evaluate 14 pain management clinical pathways. Results showed that patients whose caregiver used the pathways had less pain across their hospital stay, less interference by pain in nearly all quality of life indicators, and greater satisfaction with caregiver responsiveness to their pain. Each of these improvements reversed after discharge, however.