Pain in Homebound Older Adults with Heart Failure after Hospital Discharge.
Youjeong Kang, Yong K Choi, Josef Stehlik and 2 others
PMID 34473116WHAT IT FOUND
Homebound older adults with heart failure reported pain averaging 5.2 out of 10 after discharge, with sleep and walking most affected.
Patients often waited until pain was severe before taking medication and said providers did not always acknowledge it.
Key findings
01Pain at its worst averaged 5.2 out of 10, and it interfered most with sleep and then walking.
02Pain locations varied, with back and lower extremities most common, and nearly 70% had pain in more than two locations.
03Patients often waited until pain became intolerable before taking medication, and some said providers did not acknowledge pain severity or ask about pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All participants were identified at one hospital and were mostly White, so the findings may not apply to other settings or groups. Only 18 patients were interviewed, and recruitment stopped when themes repeated, so this cannot show how common these experiences are. Pain and medication use were based on patient report after discharge, and the researchers did not have home healthcare records, so recall may be inaccurate. Two coders interpreted the interviews, so coding could be influenced by their own experience and background.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that any pain treatment worked or that physical therapy, rest, heat, or ice relieve pain. The paper described what patients reported after discharge and did not test treatments or compare outcomes.