In recent years, significant progress has been made in research about cancer pain management. However, despite these increases in knowledge, several studies have demonstrated that patients experiencing cancer pain are grossly undertreated. The failure of health care professionals (HCP's) to effectively treat cancer pain is ascribed to two factors: attitudes of health professionals and patients toward the use of narcotic analgesics and inadequate knowledge on the part of HCP'S.
The specific aims of this cancer pain education program (CPEP), designed especially for HCP's (i.e., physicians and nurses) practicing in selected ambulatory oncology settings, are to: 1) increase HCP's knowledge regarding the recognition of and the pharmacologic management of common cancer pain syndromes and analgesic-induced side-effects; 2) change HCP's attitudes regarding cancer pain management to be more congruent with current research and clinical practice; and 3) improve the pharmacologic management of pain in ambulatory oncology patients. The CPEP will contain three components: 1) a face-to-face educational program based on the principles of the """"""""university-based drug detailing"""""""" program (two 1-hour sessions); 2) a telephone consultation service providing access to a physician to assist with the development of pain management plans and/or a pharmacist (PharmD) to provide ongoing information on pharmacologic agents; and 3) a patient referral program to assist with the management of complex pain problems. During the CPEP, HCP's will receive information about current pain management practices in their specific ambulatory oncology settings. The data will be drawn from the investigators' currently funded study. Site specific data will be provided on their patients' and caregivers' knowledge and attitudes about cancer pain; the pathophysiology of their patients' cancer pain; the effectiveness of the pharmacologic management of their patients' cancer pain, and the management of analgesic-induced side-effects. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the CPEP will be done through pre- and post-tests of HCP's knowledge and attitudes about cancer pain management and through an evaluation of changes in pain management from a replication of selected aspects of the investigators current research study.
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