American Pain Society 4700 W. Lake Ave. In 1989, 23.3 million surgical operations took place in the United States. Guidelines, however, do not ensure the proper management of acute pain. In an era in which cost and quality care must find common ground, it is worthwhile to look beyond high-tech solutions and examine other reasons that contribute to the undermanagement of acute pain.
Factors associated with the patients themselves deserve more attention.
This article highlights some of the patient-related factors that, if given attention, can help to improve the management of acute pain. Although the technology supporting these methods is good, clinicians must rely on the patient's pain report to know when and how to use this technology effectively. Ironically, many patients underreport their pain, thus eliminating essential cues needed by clinicians to know when to take steps toward providing better relief. The accuracy of self-reported pain can improve if providers educate patients about how to report pain and encourage them to report pain when it exists. In other cases, patients refuse to use analgesics even when they are available.