Understanding the Knowledge and Practices of Doctors and Hospital Staff in Acute Pain Management among Patients

Abstract

Better understanding the knowledge and practices of doctors and their teams in managing acute pain among hospitalised patients including variation by specialty, years since graduation, and history of personal or familial chronic pain could inform tailored training interventions which aim to reduce the total consumption of opioids in the community. Concerns regarding opioid overdose and deaths have prompted calls to better understand and curtail opioid prescribing. Although opioid prescribing overall in the  Saudi Arabia has fallen from a peak in 2022, the rate remains several times that in other developed nations. The epidemic has led to the establishment of the National Institute for Health's Health Initiative to increase the use of non-pharmacologic pain management including acupuncture and mind-body therapies by improving coverage and reimbursement for these services, albeit mostly targeting primary care. There is also a consensus regarding the need for provider education on pain management. The knowledge and practices of hospital doctors will be key determinants beyond the reforms in primary care that can address the more than 5 million annual hospital discharges with pain as a primary diagnosis.