Review of psychology, Vol. 20 No. 1-2, 2013.
Original scientific paper
Does professional context influence the assessment of pain - do physicians, physiotherapists, and patients agree?
Herbert Janig
; Department of Psychology, University of Klagenfurt
Olivia Kada
; Department of Healthcare Management, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences
Wolfgang Wiedermann
; Faculty of Psychology, Unit of Quantitative Methods, University of Vienna
Edina Kitarović
; Department of Psychology, University of Klagenfurt
Abstract
Mismatches in pain assessments of patients and their health care providers are well documented. The correct assessment of pain is the basis for adequate therapy. Hence, the concordance regarding pain intensity, duration of pain, localization of pain, and pain characteristics between low back pain patients (N = 28) and their health care providers (physician and physiotherapist) was investigated. Patients, physicians, and physiotherapists agreed quite well regarding current pain, whereas physiotherapists overestimated the highest level of tolerable pain and physicians ignored the emotional component of pain. Results indicate that differentiated pain assessment including several aspects of pain is required in order to prevent mismatches between patients and their therapists.
Keywords
pain; pain assessment; low back pain; health care providers
Hrčak ID:
116335
URI
Publication date:
28.12.2013.
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