Towards Better Perioperative Pain Management in Mexico: A Study in a Network of Hospitals Using Quality Improvement Methods from PAIN OUT.

Objective: This was a pre-post study in a network of hospitals in Mexico-City, Mexico. Participants developed and implemented Quality Improvement (QI) interventions addressing perioperative pain management.

Methods: PAIN OUT, an international QI and research network, provided tools for web-based auditing and feedback of pain management and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in the clinical routine. Ward- and patient-level factors were evaluated with multi-level models. Change in proportion of patients reporting worst pain ≥6/10 between project phases was the primary outcome.

Results: Participants created locally adapted resources for teaching and pain management, available to providers in the form of a website and a special issue of a national anesthesia journal. They offered teaching to anesthesiologists, surgeons, including residents, and nurses. Information was offered to patients and families. A total of 2658 patients were audited in 9 hospitals, between July 2016 and December 2018. Participants reported that the project made them aware of the importance of: training in pain management; auditing one's own patients to learn about PROs and that QI requires collaboration between multi-disciplinary teams. Participants reported being unaware that their patients experienced severe pain and lacked information about pain treatment options. Worst pain decreased significantly between the two project phases, as did PROs related to pain interfering with movement, taking a deep breath/coughing or sleep. The opportunity of patients receiving information about their pain treatment options increased from 44% to 77%.

Conclusions: Patients benefited from improved care and pain-related PROs. Clinicians appreciated gaining increased expertise in perioperative pain management and methods of QI.