[Improving the quality of cancer pain management in palliative care unit: Targeted clinical audit]. / Qualité de la prise en charge de la douleur du cancer en unité de soins palliatifs : audit clinique ciblé.

Goal This study aims to assess the quality of the cancer pain management in Palliative care unit. METHOD: The method used was the targeted clinical audit. The audit grid was built according to the recommendations of the pilot Committee, and tested until the final version with 19 items was obtained. In this retrospective study, 60 consecutive patients were studied on 2 periods of time. The first one (T1) shows the gap between the patient's chart and the expected standard, and proposes corrective measures. The second one (T2) re-assesses, using the same items list, the efficacy of these measures. RESULTS: After the corrective measures, the patients' medical record documentation was significantly improved at T2 for: neuropathic pain assessment improved, from 3% (T1) to 67% (T2) (P<0.001), so did pain assessment during the titration, from 6.7% (T1) to 90% (T2) (P<0.001). The overdoses symptoms assessment improved from 17% at T1 to 93% at T2, (P=0.002) and breakthrough pain evaluation improved from 3% at T1 to 73% at T2, (P<0.001). The pain reassessment after the rescue doses improved from 10% at T1 to 73% at T2 (P<0.001). The other points improved but not significantly. CONCLUSION: The quality of the pain cancer management was improved during the audit, but some points (patient education and in patient medical record documentation) can be improved. We need to continue to implement the improvement measures in our unit.

Barriers to venipuncture-induced pain prevention in cancer patients: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Procedural pain reduces the quality of life of cancer patients. Although there are recommendations for its prevention, there are some obstacles for its management. The purpose of this study was to analyze the barriers to procedural pain prophylaxis in cancer patients reflecting the views of the nurses. METHODS: We used qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews conducted with nurses, focusing on practices of venipuncture-induced and needle change for implantable central venous access port (ICVAP) pain management in cancer patients. A thematic analysis approach informed the data analysis. RESULTS: Interviews were conducted with 17 nurses. The study highlighted 4 main themes; technical and relational obstacles, nurses' professional recognition, the role of the team, and organizational issues. Participants understood the painful nature of venipuncture. Despite being aware of the benefits of the anesthetic patch, they did not utilize it in a systematic way. We identified several barriers at different levels: technical, relational and previous experience of incident pain. Several organizational issues were also highlighted (e.g. lack of protocol, lack of time). CONCLUSIONS: The prevention of venipuncture-induced cancer pain requires a structured training program, which should reflect the views of nurses in clinical practice.

[Audit: medical record documentation among advanced cancer patients]. / Audit : traçabilité de l'information dans la prise en charge de patients atteints de cancer en phase avancée.

Medical record documentation of cancer inpatients is a core component of continuity of care. The main goal of the study was an assessment of medical record documentation in a palliative care unit (PCU) using a targeted clinical audit based on deceased inpatients' charts. Stage 1 (2010): a clinical audit of medical record documentation assessed by a list of items (diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, power of attorney directive, advance directives). Stage 2 (2011): corrective measures. Stage 3 (2012): re-assessment with the same items' list after six month. Forty cases were investigated during stage 1 and 3. After the corrective measures, inpatient's medical record documentation was significantly improved, including for diagnosis (P = 0.01), diseases extension and treatment (P < 0.001). Our results highlighted the persistence of a weak rate of medical record documentation for advanced directives (P = 0.145).