Factors Influencing Patient Perceptions of Pain
Pain is affected by many things, some of which can be
controlled. Hospice staff must make every effort to eliminate or
reduce factors that increase a patient's perception of pain.
Some common factors are:
- Anger
Bureaucratic bungling
Friends not visiting
Delays in diagnosis
Unavailable medical personnel
Irritability
Therapeutic failure
- Anxiety
Fear of hospital or nursing home
Fear of pain
Worry about family
Worry about finances
Worry about death
Loss of dignity and bodily control
Spiritual unrest
Uncertainty about future
- Depression
Loss of social position
Loss of job, prestige, and income
Loss of role in family
Chronic fatigue and insomnia
Sense of helplessness
Disfigurement
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return to Pain
Management
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