Caregiving self-efficacy and pain assessment by family caregivers of people living with dementia.
Jeffrey T Boon, Keela Herr, Lori Schirle and 2 others
PMID 37540909WHAT IT FOUND
Family caregivers of people with dementia rarely document pain or ask others for input, relying instead on observing behavior.
Caregivers with higher self-efficacy, particularly in managing disruptive behaviors, used more pain assessment strategies. This suggests training caregivers in confidence and assessment techniques may improve pain detection.
Key findings
01Observing pain behaviors was the most frequent assessment method (median 98%), while documentation was the least used (median 10%).
02Higher caregiving self-efficacy, especially for responding to disruptive behaviors, was associated with increased use of pain assessment elements like rechecking and seeking causes.
03Caregiver health literacy, education level, relationship duration, and depressive symptoms were not associated with the frequency of pain assessment element use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size (48) was smaller than the target (85), limiting statistical power. The sample was not diverse, being predominantly white and female, which limits generalizability. The study used a new, unvalidated survey tool (DFCPAS) developed specifically for this study. Self-report data may be influenced by social desirability or recall bias. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality between self-efficacy and pain assessment practices.
Declared interests
The authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that low caregiver documentation or lack of health literacy means they are failing to assess pain. The study shows they are actively using other methods like observation and rechecking, and these factors were not associated with assessment frequency.