Family physicians&#8217; knowledge about opioid therapy in province of Kujawy-Pomorze and Podlasie

Krzysztof Buczkowski; Małgorzata Krajnik; Jacek Budzyński; Sławomir Chlabicz

Vol 3, No 4 (2004): Polish Palliative Medicine

Original articles

Published online: 2004-09-21

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Family physicians’ knowledge about opioid therapy in province of Kujawy-Pomorze and Podlasie

Krzysztof Buczkowski, Małgorzata Krajnik, Jacek Budzyński, Sławomir Chlabicz

Advances in Palliative Medicine 2004;3(4):335-342.

Vol 3, No 4 (2004): Polish Palliative Medicine

Original articles

Published online: 2004-09-21

Abstract

The World Health Organization and many national professional associations are engaged in implementation of principals of symptom control but the cancer pain control is still insufficient. Family physicians who offer continuous and holistic care should know principles of pain management. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of family physicians about using opioids in cancer pain. A postal questionnaire surveyed a sample of 384 family physicians from kujawsko-pomorski (kpp) and podlaski province (pp). The response rate was 51% (n = 195). The questionnaire consisted of clinical cases connected with pain control. The average number of correct answers for five questions was 2.2 ± 1.4. Physicians from kpp obtained significantly more points (correct answers) than from pp. The higher score was related to younger responders, with shorter time from specialization exam, better access to palliative care and competence for treating of breakthrough pain. The way of treatment of pain when 600 mg of tramadol was ineffective was also analyzed. The immediate release opioids were significantly more often chosen, in this situation, by physicians from kpp and this choice correlated with better knowledge on opioids. The strongest predictor of higher than average knowledge was competence for treating of breakthrough pain. The results show that family physicians’ knowledge about pain control is insufficient and demands continuous education for all, especially for longer working doctors.