Evaluation of post-elective surgery acute pain management profiles using the APS-POQ-R questionnaire: an observational study

Background & objective: Acute postoperative pain affects 80% of the patients undergoing elective surgery, which raises the risk of morbidity and lowers patient satisfaction with medical care. Various modalities have been employed to make the patient pain free. We studied post-elective surgery acute pain management profiles at a tertiary hospital in West Java, Indonesia to present an overview. Methodology: The American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire-Revised (APS-POQ-R) was used in this descriptive observational study. All patients who underwent elective surgery at a tertiary hospital in West Java, Indonesia between March and April 2023 and fulfilled the inclusion criteria, e.g., age from 18 to 65 y, fully conscious, able to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia, willing to participate, were included in the study. Within 24 h following the elective surgery, patients in the inpatient wards underwent interviews. Patients with impaired cognitive function, psychiatric disorders or uncooperative drug addiction, and patients who were planned for intensive care were excluded. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. The distribution of the data was examined using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The data was analyzed for the mean +/- standard deviation, range or median and range. Results: About 161 people participated in the study. The majority of participants (60.9%) reported having moderate pain, and 59% with moderate nausea as a side effect of pain medication. Mild emotional status impairment and restricted activities were also observed. Eighty-one percent of the individuals reported having knowledge regarding pain management. With a median score of 8, patient satisfaction was at a favorable level. It is believed that 80% of patients respond well to pain treatment. The degree of patient participation was low. Conclusions: Despite various post-operative changes, the majority of respondents expressed great satisfaction with their pain management. Improved patient cooperation is therefore, necessary, in addition to encouraging non-pharmacological pain management and providing sufficient pain management information.