Pain evaluation and management: a survey of Italian radiotherapists

GOALS: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge possessed and the attitudes held by Italian radiotherapists regarding evaluation and treatment of pain. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six radiotherapists completed a 16-item questionnaire that was specifically designed to investigate three main topics: the attention paid to pain, the use of analgesics, and pain in children. Chi-square or Fisher's exact text was employed to evaluate differences based on position (staff/resident), age (<35 or >35 years old), availability of consultants in pain therapy and/or palliative care, colleagues with main interest in palliative care among their own staff, and region of residence (north/center/south of Italy). RESULTS: Overall percentage of correct answers was 76.6% (range 34.9-94.4%). Correct answers by groups of items were: attention paid to pain 77.3%, use of analgesics 81.5%, and pain in children 63.7%. CONCLUSION: Results of the survey demonstrate that knowledge and attitudes of Italian radiotherapists towards the approach to and treatment of pain can be considered satisfactory.