From the Guidelines
Pain teams in hospitals are supported by substantial evidence showing they improve patient outcomes, particularly in reducing pain scores, decreasing opioid consumption, shortening hospital stays, and improving patient satisfaction, as demonstrated by recent studies such as the 2022 guidelines for postoperative pain management in non-traumatic emergency general surgery 1. The use of multidisciplinary pain teams is recommended for comprehensive pain management, as they can provide individualized pain management plans, implement multimodal analgesia approaches, and utilize regional anesthesia techniques for targeted pain relief. Some key components of pain teams include:
- Anesthesiologists
- Pain specialists
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Physical therapists
- Psychologists These teams collaborate to create individualized pain management plans, which may include medications like acetaminophen, NSAIDs, gabapentinoids, and appropriate opioids when necessary. The systematic approach to pain assessment using validated tools, such as 0-10 numeric rating scales, ensures consistent monitoring and timely intervention, as highlighted in the 2013 guidelines for adult cancer pain 1. Additionally, pain teams provide staff education on evidence-based pain management protocols, which helps standardize care throughout the hospital and reduces practice variations that can lead to suboptimal pain control, as noted in the 2022 CDC clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain 1. Overall, the evidence supports the use of pain teams in hospitals to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of pain on patients and the healthcare system. Key benefits of pain teams include:
- Reduced pain scores
- Decreased opioid consumption
- Shortened hospital stays
- Improved patient satisfaction
- Standardized care throughout the hospital
- Reduced practice variations that can lead to suboptimal pain control.
From the Research
Evidence Supporting Pain Teams in Hospitals
- The use of multidisciplinary teams in pain management is supported by several studies, including 2, which highlights the importance of a nurse-patient relationship and multidisciplinary team collaboration in effective pain management.
- A study published in the Scandinavian journal of pain 3 found that implementing evidence-based pain management guidelines, providing education for staff, and introducing pain responsibility nurses can improve pain management in hospitalized patients.
- The complexity of pain and pain management requires commitment, time, and knowledge on the part of healthcare staff, and multi-professional pain teams that support ward staff in pain management are necessary to reduce suffering and unnecessary pain in hospitalized patients 3.
- A multidisciplinary approach to pain management, including evaluation by a variety of healthcare professionals, is effective, cost-efficient, and superior to single-discipline treatments or outpatient nonmultidisciplinary rehabilitation 4.
- Healthcare practitioners' views on pain management in acute care hospital settings emphasize the need for collaborative approaches to achieve hospital-wide evidence-based pain management, and the importance of working as a team to improve pain management practices 5.
Key Components of Effective Pain Teams
- Multidisciplinary teams should include a variety of healthcare professionals, such as primary care providers, anesthesiologists, psychologists, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists 4.
- Pain responsibility nurses can play a crucial role in informing other staff on their own wards and improving pain management practices 3.
- Continuous evaluation of treatment outcomes is necessary to prevent severe pain and disturbed sleep, and to improve pain management in hospitalized patients 3.
- Collaboration and communication among healthcare professionals are essential for effective pain management, and can help to reduce barriers to pain management, such as stigmatization of patients with opioid use disorder 2.