Pain acceptance in cancer patients with chronic pain in Hunan, China: A qualitative study.
Xianghua Xu, Qinqin Cheng, Meijun Ou and 3 others
PMID 31728390WHAT IT FOUND
Hospitalized Chinese cancer patients described pain acceptance as a struggle: pain relief came first, they avoided triggers, resigned, felt misunderstood, and lost daily function; coping included analgesics, family, exercise, and Buddhist practices.
Key findings
01Four themes and 15 subthemes described pain acceptance: adaptation, emotional reactions, functional limitations, and coping strategies.
02Some patients secretly reduced their prescribed oxycodone because they feared addiction and side effects.
03Many participants found daily activities hard because pain limited physical and self-care abilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Single tertiary cancer center in China, so findings may not transfer to other hospitals or countries. Only 12 patients were interviewed, and 2 of 14 eligible patients declined. Participants were hospitalized and receiving active treatment, with cognitive or verbal communication impairments excluded, so more complex patients may not be represented. Interviews were conducted in Mandarin and translated into English, which may affect meaning. Qualitative interviews describe experiences and themes; they do not test whether pain acceptance or any intervention improves outcomes.
Declared interests
Funded by the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Fund; the authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that acceptance-based interventions or nurse-led pain acceptance work; this was a qualitative interview study of 12 patients, so it describes experiences and does not test outcomes.