Educational Intervention for Effective Postoperative Pain Management in Low Resource Settings: Evidence from Ethiopia

Abstract Background The annual number of surgical operations performed is increasing throughout the world. With this rise in the number of surgeries performed, so too, the challenge of effectively managing postoperative pain. Healthcare professionals and patients in education might help in controlling postoperative pain effectively. However, data from low-income countries investigating the impact of educational intervention on postoperative pain are very scanty, and reports from the developed settings are inconclusive. The study has investigated the impact of preoperative patient education and health care professionals education on improving the quality of postoperative pain management; in patients scheduled for major elective orthopedic, gynecologic and general surgery; as measured by patient-reported outcomes. Methods This was a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design with before and after measures. We have recruited 700 consecutive patients; who are eighteen years or more, scheduled for general, orthopedic and gynecologic surgery. Outcome measures were patient-reported outcomes (postoperative pain intensity, pain interference, and perception of care) and adequacy of pain management used. Results Generally, no significant difference was observed in most outcome measures except for the worst level of pain, least level of pain, patient participation in decision making and feeling of drowsiness between the treatment and control group. Conclusion Results of this study contained very important information in understanding the effectiveness of educational interventions in the postoperative setting. The treatment was successful in increasing patients participation in decision making, as anticipated. However, its impact on decreasing pain intensity was only noted at the last measurement point after surgery.