Impact of a pilot team on patients' pain reduction and satisfaction in an emergency department: A before-and-after observational study.

Background: Pain management and patient satisfaction were targeted in the emergency department of a Paris university hospital. In 1999, 77.0% of patients complained of pain on arrival and more than half of patients did not experience pain relief at discharge. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the outcomes of the implementation of a team piloting pain management on pain reduction and pain care satisfaction.

Method: Two cross-sectional surveys (04/10/1999 to 19/10/1999 and 03/04/2007 to 18/04/2007) were conducted before and after a team piloting pain management was deployed in the emergency department. Consecutive patients age 18 years and older who visited the department suffering from pain were given structured questionnaires that validated scales scoring pain upon arrival and at discharge. Patients' files were analyzed using structured forms. The parameters associated with pain reduction and patient satisfaction were sought.

Results: In 2007, 65.0% of patients had their pain relieved vs. 35.1% in 1999 (P<0.001); 60.2% were satisfied with the pain care received vs. 39.8%. Pain management (e.g. waiting time ≤ 20 min: 47.6% vs. 20.8%; interventions on pain before the physician's examination: 63.0% vs. 13.8%; and pain reassessment after intervention: 13.8% vs. 4.5%) improved. Both pain reduction and patient satisfaction were significantly associated with intervention before the physician's examination. Pain reduction was independently and positively associated with time of survey, triage level (depending on the severity of their condition), pain intensity on arrival, and negatively associated with discharge without hospitalization. Satisfaction was independently and positively associated with waiting time before examination (0-20 min) and the absence of procedural pain.

Conclusion: The implementation of a team piloting pain management seemed to have had positive effects on pain management in the emergency department. However, respectively, 56.2% and 39.8% of patients remained without pain relief and dissatisfied with pain management at the end of their visit.