Knowledge Attitude and Practice towards Total Pain Assessment among Health Professionals Providing Palliative Care Service
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Date
2025
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Addis Ababa Uinverstiy
Abstract
Back ground; The concept of total pain assessment entails assessment of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual pain in patients suffering from life threatening and serious illnesses. It is crucial to assess pain holistically to alleviate pain and suffering to increase quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the practical implementation of total pain assessment.
Objective; To assess knowledge, attitude and practice towards total pain assessment among health professionals providing palliative care service, in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa.
Methods; A cross sectional study was done in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital palliative care unit from September to October 2025.Sample size of 69 calculated using single population formula, data was collected using self-administered questionnaire, data was cleaned, and entered using SPSS version 26. Data analysis was done with descriptive statistics using frequencies, percentages and mean. Association between the dependent and independent variables was determined using odds ratio at 95% level of confidence interval and P value 0.05 for significance.
Result; 63 participants out of 69 with response rate of 91.3% participated in the study. 46(73%) were nurses and 17(27%) residents.38 (60.31%), 25(39.68%), and 30(47.6%) have adequate knowledge, favorable attitude and good practice respectively. Being a nurse was associated with unfavorable attitude with adjusted odds ratio of 0.004(0.005, 0.382) and p value 0.002.
Conclusions and recommendations; This study showed health professionals working at palliative care unit in Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital have adequate knowledge, but unfavorable attitude, and poor practice , it is recommended to give proper training and developing guide lines and protocols to assess pain holistically in palliative care unit of TASH.
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Knowledge of Health Professionals Providing Palliative Care Service towards Pain Assessment in Patients with Life Threatening Illness.