Patient Pain Experiences and the Emergency Department Encounter: A Qualitative Analysis.
Brittany E Punches, Jennifer L Brown, Summer Soliman and 5 others
PMID 35508451WHAT IT FOUND
ED patients said pain assessments often did not change medication, and opioid restrictions made them feel judged.
After discharge some took fewer pills to avoid addiction; others ran out and sought street opioids.
Key findings
01Patients said pain assessments often did not change the medication they received, and one account described waiting 28 hours before medication.
02After discharge, participants described taking opioids less than prescribed to avoid addiction, while others ran out quickly and sought opioids off the street.
03Participants perceived that opioid restrictions and provider judgments, including race and previous substance use, reduced their pain relief.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed 18 people at one ED, so it cannot show how common these experiences are among all ED patients. Participants had to speak fluent English and were excluded if they were health professionals, pregnant, or incarcerated, so it may not fit patients with other language, legal, or care needs. Interviews used a structured guide, so the themes may reflect the questions asked rather than all issues patients would raise freely. The paper reports patients' perceptions; it cannot show whether opioid restrictions caused street use, overdose, or inadequate relief.
Declared interests
The paper lists research support from non-U.S. government sources and NIH extramural funding. No author conflicts of interest are stated in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that more opioid prescribing would prevent overdose or improve pain. It describes patients' perceptions after one ED visit, and overdose events during follow-up cannot be linked to the amount prescribed.