Patients' Active Participation in Postoperative Pain Management in an Urban Hospital of Vietnam: Implications for Patient Empowerment

Active participation in pain management is vital to improve postoperative pain outcomes. However, this issue has not been fully examined in Vietnam. This study aimed to examine the active participation of patients in pain management after surgery, as well as explore its effect on acute postoperative pain. A hospital-based survey on 245 patients after surgery was conducted. Information about demographic and clinical characteristics, pain intensity and active participation in pain management was collected. Multivariate regression models were utilized to determine the associations. 53.9% of patients reported that they were informed about the postoperative pain relief method before surgery. One-third (33.5%) of patients selected preferred pain relief methods; 46.1% reported that they asked physicians when feeling pain immediately after surgery; 49.8% asked physicians when pain was not relieved after taking medications, and 52.2% asked physicians for their current pain in the time of interview. Age and occupation were found to be positively associated with active participation score. Patients being informed about the postoperative pain relief method before surgery had 0.87 points higher than those not receiving explanation (Coef. = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.49-1.26). Patients with high active participation scores were more likely to have pain improvement (OR = 3.41, 95%CI = 2.37-4.92). This study highlights a low level of active participation in postoperative pain management among Vietnamese patients. Routinely providing information about pain control before surgery, and encouraging patients to actively participate in pain management are essential to improve postoperative pain outcomes.