Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Pain'.
Found 224 results
-
Content ArticleIn this article for The Cut magazine, author Rae Nudson looks at the sometimes severe pain that women face when having gynaecology examinations and procedures, and how this has been accepted and normalised by healthcare professionals. She highlights a lack of understanding about the complex nature of pain, which leads to an expectation that women just need to 'put up' with pain during cervical screening, IUD fitting, hysteroscopy and other procedures. Speaking to women who have had painful and traumatising experiences, she discusses the long-term impact that these negative experiences can have, including putting women off attending potentially life-saving screening appointments. She also outlines the particular problems faced by Black women during gynaecological procedures, caused by incorrect assumptions that they feel pain less and are more able to tolerate it. These assumptions are rooted in historical oppression and racism, but research demonstrates that they still have a bearing on how healthcare professionals treat women from Black and other minority backgrounds.
-
Content ArticleThe gap in healthy life expectancy is being driven by the increasing numbers of people managing a long-term condition (LTC) and, increasingly more than one – known as multi-morbidity. This situation affects a higher proportion of the population facing systemic discrimination and marginalisation, and those experiencing higher levels of deprivation. This report from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy raises awareness of health inequities in rehabilitation and recovery services across the UK
-
Content Article
Nine specialist mesh centres have been set up by NHS England to offer removal surgery and other treatment to women suffering from complications and pain as a result of vaginal mesh surgery, but women are reporting that they are not operating effectively. In this opinion piece, Kath Sansom highlights ten problems with these specialist mesh centres, evidenced by the real experiences of women who are part of the Sling the Mesh campaign Facebook group. -
Content ArticleHysteroscopy is a diagnostic gynaecological procedure traditionally requiring administration of general anaesthesia, but more frequently completed using local anaesthesia within a day-case (ambulatory) setting. Advantages associated with this transition include decreased completion times, fewer risks, and lower clinical costs. Numerous services advertise the procedure as being either pain free or low pain; however, it is estimated that 25% of patients report experiencing intense or intolerable pain. For severe pain, local anaesthetic can be administered, but this does not guarantee effective pain management. This research, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, found that very few patients feel no pain and a significant number felt pain of greater than 7/10. It also found a disconnect between the patient's experience of pain and the clinician's perception of it. This research paper is paywalled, but can be purchased via the link below.
-
Content Article
Pain as the neglected adverse event (April 2010)
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Pain management
Authors of this commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association journal argue that many patients suffer from a specific adverse event on a daily basis: pain. It is never reported as an adverse event and corrective action is often not taken. -
Content ArticleThis blog, published in the BMJ, sets the context for an Evidence Based Nursing (EBN) Twitter Chat that took place on 18 March 2015. The chat focused on whether mismanaged (undertreated) pain should be considered an adverse event. The Twitter Chat was hosted by Dr Alison Twycross who is editor of EBN and has also done lots of work in the area of paediatric pain management. This blog provides some context for the chat. The examples given relate to paediatric pain but the principles apply to pain in patients of all ages.
-
Content ArticleIn this blog, Stephanie O'Donohue, Content and Engagement Manger for Patient Safety Learning, discusses some of the patient safety issues that specifically impact on women. Drawing on recent inquiries, patient testimonials and research, Stephanie focuses on three main issues; consent, patient engagement and bias. She highlights the need for people to work in partnership to understand the barriers to safe care for women and to prevent future harm.
-
Content ArticleDr Richard Harrison is a pain researcher employed at the University of Reading and affiliated with the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences (SPCLS) and Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN). His research focuses predominately on pain, examining psychological processes underlying how pain is processed, as well as individual differences in the ability to modulate (or control) the experience of pain. In this blog, Richard reflects on his recent research on pain experience and assessment during hysteroscopy procedures, published recently in the British Journal of Anaesthesia. "The dangers of advertising hysteroscopy as a mildly painful procedure are many. Firstly, this stands to put women off engaging with a very useful diagnostic test for the identification of serious medical conditions, such as ovarian cancer or endometriosis. But secondly, it is highly plausible that the resulting prediction error stands to make the experience even more painful than if patients were appropriately warned."
- Posted
- 1 comment
-
1
-
- (and 3 more)
-
Content ArticleHysteroscopy is a procedure used as a diagnostic tool, to identify the cause of common problems such as abnormal bleeding, unexplained pain or unusually heavy periods in women. It involves a long, thin tube being passed into the womb, often with little or no anaesthesia. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on these procedures being performed within outpatient services. The availability of pain relief is much reduced in these settings. There are financial incentives in place to support this move to day surgery.[1] Reflecting on activity to date, Patient Safety Learning discusses the important role that consent, patient engagement and collaborative action is playing in highlighting a serious patient safety concern and in driving the change needed for safe hysteroscopy.
- Posted
- 1 comment
-
3
-
- (and 3 more)
-
Content Article
.png.67d93e9ccf57c273511e6ed865b200a8.png)
Pain is spoken about often within health and social care. Patients might be asked to locate our pain during examinations, to rate our level of pain or to describe the type of pain we are feeling. They may be forewarned of the possibilities of pain occurring during or after procedures or operations. Medical consent forms often include reference to the risk of pain and require a signature to confirm they have been appropriately ‘informed’. Pain can be acute (lasting less than 12 weeks) or chronic (lasting more than 12 weeks), and the way we experience it, our thresholds, can also vary. It can be our body’s way of warning us of potential damage, yet it can also occur when no actual harm is happening to the body.[1] It can cause trauma, physiological reactions, mental health difficulties and chronic fatigue, and can have a huge impact on someone’s quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks.[2] Pain is undoubtedly complex, but is it a patient safety issue?[3] -
Content ArticleThe Campaign Against Painful Hysteroscopy is a campaign group raising awareness of the safety flaws that exist within the processes surrounding hysteroscopy procedures for women. On 20 October 2020, they wrote to Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Nadine Dorries MP, Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. In their letter they used both empirical data and the personal stories of women to illustrate the prevalence and seriousness of the issue.
- Posted
- 1 comment
-
2
-
- (and 4 more)
-
Content ArticleRestorative practices involve inclusive democratic dialogue between all those affected by healthcare harm. They are guided by concern to address harms, meet needs, restore trust, and promote repair or healing for all involved. In this webinar recording from the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, participants explore New Zealand's approach to healing after healthcare harm from surgical mesh and ask: What was the impetus for a restorative approach? What inspired the choice of a relationship-centric and reconciliatory model? How did restorative practices support the co-design process between consumer advocates and Ministry of Health representatives? How do restorative approaches support New Zealand's commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi- The treaty that determines the partnership between the Crown and indigenous peoples?
-
Content ArticleThe World Health Organization (WHO) is actively exploring the role of compassion in quality health care. This Global Health Compassion Rounds (GHCR) highlighted the compelling evidence around compassion and quality care—not only for patients, but also for providers and health care organisations. Respondents offered their views of the implications of this evidence at national, district, and community levels of care.
-
Content ArticleUndertreated, unrecognised, or poorly managed pain in young people can have long-lasting negative consequences in later life, including continued chronic pain, disability and distress. This Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Commission presents four transformative goals – to make pain matter, understood, visible, and better. It sets out priorities for clinicians, researchers, funders, and policy makers, and calls for cross-sector collaboration to deliver the action needed to improve the lives of children and adolescents with pain.
-
Content ArticleIn this blog Patient Safety Learning reflects on responses received from Robin Swann MLA, Minister of Health (Northern Ireland), Jeane Freeman MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Scotland) and Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for Health and Social Services (Wales), regarding concerns about painful hysteroscopy procedures in the NHS.
-
Content Article
The Pain Toolkit
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Pain management
Many people with pain say they feel trapped or stuck in a persistent pain cycle. On good days they do more and on bad days less. The Pain Toolkit is for people who live with persistent pain and Healthcare teams who support them. This website hosts a range of resources including:Online workshopsPain ToolkitsResearchWebinarsPodcastsUnderstanding painHow to get the most out of your appointments. -
Content Article
Through the hysteroscope: Reflections of a gynaecologist
SairaS posted an article in Women's health
At Patient Safety Learning, we’ve been working with others to understand the issues surrounding painful hysteroscopies. In this interview, we talk to Obstetrics and Gynaecology consultant, Saira Sundar, about the process. She offers her clinical insight and highlights some of the challenges involved when it comes to managing pain during hysteroscopies. Saira also offers advice to colleagues and patients seeking to reduce anxiety and improve the patient experience.- Posted
- 7 comments
-
5
-
- (and 3 more)
-
Content ArticleIn this blog, Patient Safety Learning reflects on a recent response from Nadine Dorries MP, Minister of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety, regarding concerns about painful hysteroscopy procedures in the NHS. Towards the end of last year, Patient Safety Learning published a blog outlining five calls to action that could be taken to improve the safety of hysteroscopy procedures in the NHS.[1] This has been an issue raised by patients, campaign groups and politicians in recent years, highlighting concerns that women having been suffering avoidable harm from hysteroscopies. We wrote to several key stakeholders in healthcare across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, to raise awareness of this issue and call for urgent action to prevent future harm. While we welcome the Minister in her response supporting the general principles of informed consent and good practice guidance for hysteroscopy, we know that many women are still not being offered a choice of pain relief or given adequate information before consenting to the procedure. It remains unclear from her response whether the Government will take action to investigate the frequency of these experiences and respond to improve hysteroscopy safety.
-
Content ArticleGeneral anaesthesia for obstetric surgery has distinct characteristics that may contribute towards a higher risk of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia. The primary aim of this study from Odor et al. was to investigate the incidence, experience and psychological implications of unintended conscious awareness during general anaesthesia in obstetric patients. Researchers discovered that one in 256 women going through pregnancy-related surgery are aware of what was going on — a far higher proportion than the one in every 19,000 identified in a previous national audit. If a patient is conscious at some point while under general anaesthetic, they may be able to recall events from the surgery such as pain or the sensation of being trapped, the researchers said.
-
Content ArticleThis month, we’ve been looking back over 2020 and highlighting some of the key areas of health and care that Patient Safety Learning has worked in this year. First, Chief Executive, Helen Hughes, gave an overview, detailing some of the main ways we’ve been achieving our aims as an organisation. Following that, we looked at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient safety, and, earlier this week, we focused on advice and support for people living with Long COVID. In this blog, Patient Safety Learning reflect on the work we’ve been doing to highlight serious patient safety concerns relating to hysteroscopy procedures in the NHS and how we’ve been making the case for change.
-
Content Article
The normalisation of women’s pain
LiSaRa posted an article in Women's health
In this wonderfully personal reflection, Junior Doctor and Clinical Fellow, Lisa Rampersad, argues that women are taught to apologise for their pain from an early age. Lisa draws on her own experiences, including those as a patient herself, to highlight a need for a better understanding of the female anatomy. She concludes by sharing her own approach as a clinician, encouraging others to listen and believe their patients when they talk about pain.- Posted
- 5 comments
-
4
-
- (and 1 more)
-
Content ArticleIn this short video produced by Endometriosis Explained, retired gynaecologist, MJ Quinn, talks about the neuropathic causes of painful hysteroscopy. This includes seven recommendations for how to avoid severe pain outpatient hysteroscopy.
-
Content ArticleEpistemic injustice sits at the intersection of ethics, epistemology, and social justice. Generally, this philosophical term describes when a person is wrongfully discredited as a knower; and within the clinical space, epistemic injustice is the underlying reason that some patient testimonies are valued above others. The following essay, published in Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, seeks to connect patterns of social prejudice to the clinical realm in the United States: illustrating how factors such as race, gender identity, and socioeconomic status influence epistemic credence and associatively, the quality of healthcare a person receives.
-
Content Article
Getting diagnosed with endometriosis: personal stories
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Women's health
Women share their personal experiences to Endometriosis UK of getting diagnosed with endometriosis.
.png.67d93e9ccf57c273511e6ed865b200a8.png)
