Healthcare professionals’ knowledge, understanding and confidence to manage chronic pain after cancer treatment: a UK survey
Healthcare professionals’ knowledge, understanding and confidence to manage chronic pain after cancer treatment: a UK survey
Introduction: healthcare professionals are vital in preparing people living with and beyond cancer about the risks of chronic pain after cancer treatment. To do so, healthcare professionals need to be knowledgeable and confident about chronic pain after cancer treatment, yet little is known about their understanding or confidence of this common long-term and late side effect of cancer treatment.
Aim: to identify healthcare professionals’ knowledge and understanding of chronic pain after cancer treatment and consider how confident they are to inform, listen and signpost people living with and beyond cancer to appropriate information and support.
Method: a cross sectional online survey was distributed to healthcare professionals in the UK via cancer and primary care networks, cancer alliances and social media. The survey consisted of four domains: 1) knowledge and understanding, 2) information and support, 3) confidence and 4) barriers. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics and free text comments were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: healthcare professionals reported limited knowledge and understanding of chronic pain after cancer treatment. Healthcare professionals lacked confidence to talk to people about chronic pain after cancer treatment and viewed their lack of knowledge as a barrier. Additional barriers included ‘Limited service provision’, ‘Conflict between services’, ‘Not my role’ and ‘Challenges in diagnosing chronic pain in cancer survivors’.
Conclusion: chronic pain after cancer can be a significant issue for those living with and beyond cancer, yet healthcare professionals report limited knowledge of it or understanding of the impact. More education is needed to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence in chronic pain after cancer treatment.
Allied health professional, Cancer, Chronic pain, Clinician, Healthcare professional, Nurse, Oncology, Persistent pain, Survivor
Armoogum, J.
3c716cea-c448-4e44-bc8b-82e7cb8e5209
Harcourt, D.
55ef847a-3539-4fa1-a499-4b62bd439806
Foster, C.
00786ac1-bd47-4aeb-a0e2-40e058695b73
Llewellyn, A.
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Hepburn, J.
90b5b91c-fa7b-4e9f-afc8-ac1d4f2fd0c6
Prior, M
fa676b82-95bf-464e-986a-27f4f8a75b85
McCabe, C.
ccb8a891-0053-424e-be0a-a0dfc93f2160
23 June 2024
Armoogum, J.
3c716cea-c448-4e44-bc8b-82e7cb8e5209
Harcourt, D.
55ef847a-3539-4fa1-a499-4b62bd439806
Foster, C.
00786ac1-bd47-4aeb-a0e2-40e058695b73
Llewellyn, A.
55a5ade7-c203-4ec7-95b9-6caee14b1127
Hepburn, J.
90b5b91c-fa7b-4e9f-afc8-ac1d4f2fd0c6
Prior, M
fa676b82-95bf-464e-986a-27f4f8a75b85
McCabe, C.
ccb8a891-0053-424e-be0a-a0dfc93f2160
Armoogum, J., Harcourt, D., Foster, C., Llewellyn, A., Hepburn, J., Prior, M and McCabe, C.
(2024)
Healthcare professionals’ knowledge, understanding and confidence to manage chronic pain after cancer treatment: a UK survey.
European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 71, [102610].
(doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102610).
Abstract
Introduction: healthcare professionals are vital in preparing people living with and beyond cancer about the risks of chronic pain after cancer treatment. To do so, healthcare professionals need to be knowledgeable and confident about chronic pain after cancer treatment, yet little is known about their understanding or confidence of this common long-term and late side effect of cancer treatment.
Aim: to identify healthcare professionals’ knowledge and understanding of chronic pain after cancer treatment and consider how confident they are to inform, listen and signpost people living with and beyond cancer to appropriate information and support.
Method: a cross sectional online survey was distributed to healthcare professionals in the UK via cancer and primary care networks, cancer alliances and social media. The survey consisted of four domains: 1) knowledge and understanding, 2) information and support, 3) confidence and 4) barriers. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics and free text comments were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: healthcare professionals reported limited knowledge and understanding of chronic pain after cancer treatment. Healthcare professionals lacked confidence to talk to people about chronic pain after cancer treatment and viewed their lack of knowledge as a barrier. Additional barriers included ‘Limited service provision’, ‘Conflict between services’, ‘Not my role’ and ‘Challenges in diagnosing chronic pain in cancer survivors’.
Conclusion: chronic pain after cancer can be a significant issue for those living with and beyond cancer, yet healthcare professionals report limited knowledge of it or understanding of the impact. More education is needed to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence in chronic pain after cancer treatment.
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revised HCP study manuscript 2 final clean
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Accepted/In Press date: 14 May 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 23 May 2024
Published date: 23 June 2024
Keywords:
Allied health professional, Cancer, Chronic pain, Clinician, Healthcare professional, Nurse, Oncology, Persistent pain, Survivor
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 491849
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491849
ISSN: 1462-3889
PURE UUID: 1e86a617-e90c-423e-bc67-36ccf12e4428
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2024 17:10
Last modified: 12 Jul 2024 01:42
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Contributors
Author:
J. Armoogum
Author:
D. Harcourt
Author:
A. Llewellyn
Author:
J. Hepburn
Author:
M Prior
Author:
C. McCabe
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