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Abstract [en]

The overall aim of this thesis is to explore how to achieve and measure person-centred pain management (PCPM) for the patient with acute abdominal pain (AAP) in acute surgical care. The Fundamentals of Care (FoC) framework guides all studies.

The methods: In Study I, focused ethnography is used with 92h of participant observations (n=34) at the emergency department (n=1) and surgical wards (n=2), including 261 patient–provider interactions. In Study II, case study is used for secondary analysis of 20 observations from Study I. In Study III, a questionnaire is developed in a systematic process to measure PCPM, performed by combining; a validated questionnaire, theoretical and empirical evidence. The questionnaire is tested by question appraisal, theoretical experts (n=2), patients (n=5) and providers (n=5), and thereafter by patients (n=100) at surgical wards (n=4). In Study IV, a qualitative systematic review is performed with a synthesis by thematic analysis, to test and refine a model for PCPM from Study I. The synthesis includes 15 qualitative studies representing patients (n=495) and/or nurses (n=259) from n= 3 emergency departments and n=17 hospital wards in n=9 countries. The patients are ≥ 18 years old, with AAP (Studies I-IV), or acute pain from surgery (Study IV). 

The results confirms that the patient still suffer from unmanaged pain in acute surgical care, and presents actions on behalf of the patient and provider, and contextual factors including the organizational culture, to achieve and measure PCPM. The studies presents a model for PCPM from the patient perspective (Study I), patient-provider communications contributing to meeting fundamental care needs (Study II), an initially feasible and valid questionnaire to measure PCPM (Study III), and a tested and refined model for PCPM from the patient and nurse perspective (Study IV). 

Conclusion: This thesis presents scientific evidence providing an in-depth understanding of what is important for successful pain management from the patient’s and nurses’ perspectives, how these parts are interconnected, and how they can be achieved and measured. The results also show the feasible role of communication in meeting the patient’s fundamental care needs. This evidence is suggested to be tested and evaluated in clinical practice to perform PCPM, relieving the patient from pain. 

Link to the doctoral thesis in DiVA.