dc.contributor.author |
McNeill, Robert B. (Robert Bruce), 1970- |
en |
dc.date.accessioned |
2020-07-08T04:50:31Z |
en |
dc.date.available |
2020-07-08T04:50:31Z |
en |
dc.date.issued |
2005 |
en |
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2292/52045 |
en |
dc.description |
Full text is available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland only. |
en |
dc.description.abstract |
Given the large proportion of the population affected by cancer and the proportion of
these who are affected by pain, it is important to understand any barriers to providing
pain management to these people. These barriers could be regulatory, resource-
related, or the result of problematic attitudes and beliefs held by health professionals
(particularly physicians) and patients. Previous research has shown that these barriers
often differ extensively between countries and change over time. This research
explored the psychological barriers to optimal pain management for cancer patients in
New Zealand.
This research was conducted in a series of three studies; one with physicians and two
with members of the general public. The first study involved a mail survey of 131
general practitioners (GPs) and 18 pain ‘specialists’ using a questionnaire that has
been used extensively in similar studies overseas. The second study used a
questionnaire that has been used in much of the literature to measure psychological
barriers to cancer pain management in 406 members of the general public. The third
study involved interviewing 13 participants from the second study, in order to validate
and expand the findings of the second study.
The results of the first study showed that New Zealand physicians’ beliefs and
attitudes toward cancer pain management generally compared favourably to
physicians who have participated in previous studies in other countries. There were a
concerning minority, however, who demonstrated attitudes and beliefs that would be
likely to impede their ability to provide optimal pain management to cancer patients.
The adoption and promotion of a national pain strategy, including cancer pain
management guidelines, is suggested as a way of addressing these issues.
The results of the second study showed that the general public in New Zealand have
similar concerns to cancer patients and their caregivers in previous studies from other
countries. There were some barriers that were very common and would be likely to
reduce the adequacy of pain management in a large proportion of cancer patients.
These included: concerns about addiction to, and side effects from, pain medications;
fear of injections; concerns about developing tolerance to pain medications; and the
fear that increased pain indicates disease progression. A national awareness campaign
or focused patient education is suggested as a way of addressing these issues.
The third study provided some validation and extrapolation of the results from the
second study, but also indicated some possible methodological issues with the use of
the Barrier Questionnaire used in the second study. Further research is needed to
explore the validity of the methods for assessing barriers to pain management.
The results of this series of studies have shown that there are a number of serious
barriers to optimal pain management in New Zealand. A concerning proportion of
both physicians and the general public hold beliefs and have attitudes that are
incompatible with some of the most effective pain management strategies, including
pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches. It is important that New Zealand
joins other countries that now have a nationwide strategy for addressing many of the
issues raised in this research. |
en |
dc.publisher |
ResearchSpace@Auckland |
en |
dc.relation.ispartof |
PhD Thesis - University of Auckland |
en |
dc.relation.isreferencedby |
UoA99157162214002091 |
en |
dc.rights |
Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. |
en |
dc.rights |
Restricted Item. Full text is available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland only. |
en |
dc.rights.uri |
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm |
en |
dc.title |
Cancer pain management : an exploration of psychological barriers in physicians and the general public |
en |
dc.type |
Thesis |
en |
thesis.degree.discipline |
Psychology |
en |
thesis.degree.grantor |
The University of Auckland |
en |
thesis.degree.level |
Doctoral |
en |
thesis.degree.name |
PhD |
en |
dc.rights.holder |
Copyright: The author |
en |
dc.identifier.wikidata |
Q112867229 |
|