Experiencing improved assessment and control of pain in end-of-life care when using the Abbey Pain Scale systematically.

AIM

To describe staff's reflections on aspects influencing pain assessment at end-of-life (EoL) care in nursing homes before and after the implementation of the Abbey Pain Scale (APS).

BACKGROUND

People with cognitive impairment in the EoL care often suffer from underdiagnosed and undertreated pain due to the lack of knowledge and guidelines for systematic pain assessment.

METHODS

Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The staff described their experiences before the implementation of APS as while the experiences after the implementation of APS were described as .

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of APS was experienced as improving systematic pain assessment. Efforts to establish clear routines and improve confidence in the care team would be prioritized to optimize pain assessment and pain relief in EoL care.