Introduction
Pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms of patients with cancer, which hampers daily activities and quality of life. Systematic pain assessment and documentation using a validated pain assessment tool at each visit in patients with cancer are key recommendations in the most recent clinical practice guidelines on cancer pain management. However, pain is not systematically assessed and documented.
Aims and Objectives
Implement a programme of development that will support the oncology team to critically analyse pain assessment practice and put current research on pain assessment tools into practice
Capture cancer survivors’ experiences and challenges of living with pain and create a story that represents that journey
Create a shared learning experience that will enable health care professionals to transform practice cultures in the context of pain assessment and registration Design
The research approach will be ‘Emancipatory Action Research’ which affords a method to improve practitioners’ self-understandings and critique of their work settings. This method inspires participants to examine assumptions made in and about practice through systematic reflection and critique, making a change the foremost interest of critical reflection. A key theme that arises in the literature is the role of local knowledge in bringing about community change. Therefore, participatory methods of inquiry such as ‘Action Research’ are formed around ideas of inclusion and change within communities. Furthermore, ‘Action Research’ provokes a commitment to action and helping foster social change as an integral part of the research process.
Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics will be conducted with SPSS version 20 (IBM SPSS Statistics, New York, USA).
The focus groups/facilitated reflective sessions/semi-structured interviews and consolidation workshops will be audiotaped, transcribed and encrypted.
The analysis undertaken will follow systematic text condensation .
