Assessment of Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Patient-Controlled Analgesia

Overview

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is a widely used method for postoperative pain management that allows patients to self-administer analgesics according to their pain needs. The safe and effective use of PCA depends largely on the knowledge and awareness of healthcare professionals. Insufficient knowledge may lead to improper use of PCA devices and increase the risk of complications affecting patient safety. The aim of this study will be to evaluate healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes regarding patient-controlled analgesia and to assess the effect of a structured educational intervention on these outcomes. This interventional, pre-post comparative study will be conducted among healthcare professionals working in surgical clinics, operating rooms, and intensive care units at a tertiary care hospital. Participants will complete a structured questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, PCA-related knowledge, and attitudes before receiving a standardized educational program on patient-controlled analgesia. The same questionnaire will be administered again one week after the education. Changes in knowledge and attitude scores before and after the educational intervention will be analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is an important component of postoperative pain management that allows patients to self-administer analgesic medications within predetermined safety limits. The effectiveness and safety of PCA depend not only on appropriate device programming and pharmacological selection but also on the knowledge, awareness, and clinical practices of healthcare professionals responsible for patient education, monitoring, and device management. This study will be designed as a semi-experimental, interventional, pre-post comparative study to evaluate healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes regarding patient-controlled analgesia and to assess the impact of a structured educational intervention on these outcomes. The study will be conducted among healthcare professionals working in surgical wards, operating rooms, and intensive care units of a tertiary care hospital. Eligible participants will include physicians, nurses, anesthesia technicians, and midwives aged 18 years and older who are actively involved in perioperative patient care. Healthcare professionals who decline participation, do not complete the questionnaires, or are not working in the specified clinical units will be excluded from the study. Before the educational intervention, participants will complete a structured questionnaire consisting of three sections. The first section will collect demographic and professional information, including age, sex, profession, years of clinical experience, department of employment, and previous experience with PCA-treated patients. The second section will assess knowledge related to patient-controlled analgesia using 32 true/false items covering PCA principles, routes of administration, device characteristics, opioid analgesics, contraindications, complications, device management, and patient monitoring. The third section will evaluate attitudes toward PCA using 28 statements rated on a four-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Following baseline assessment, a standardized educational program on patient-controlled analgesia will be delivered to all participants. The educational content will include theoretical and practical information on PCA principles, safe device use, opioid pharmacology, complication recognition, and patient follow-up. One week after completion of the educational intervention, the same questionnaire will be re-administered under identical conditions. Changes in knowledge and attitude scores before and after the educational intervention will be analyzed using appropriate statistical methods to determine the effect of education on healthcare professionals' understanding and perceptions of patient-controlled analgesia. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to improved patient safety and quality of postoperative pain management by highlighting the importance of structured educational programs for healthcare professionals involved in PCA practices.