Investigators will conduct a prospective intervention study including both nurses and patients in the study group. A web-based questionnaire will be used to collect the data from the participators.
Inclusion criteria for the study group consisting of nurses will be registered nurses working in one of the two surgical wards included in the study. The nurses shall also have education and experience of working with PCA pumps and accepted participation in the study. Exclusion criteria for the nurses' group are lack of education and experience in working with PCA pumps and lack of basic knowledge in English.
Inclusion criteria for patients are adult patients over 17 yrs., both men and women who has been prescribed a PCA pump for postoperative pain management and accepted participation in the study. Exclusion criteria for the patient group are patients under 18 yrs., old, inability to carry out the survey, neuropsychiatric or psychiatric disease, non-Swedish speaking and drug abuser.
Both of the wards included in the study uses PCA pump, , Smiths medical modell CADD Solis. Only one of the wards will use the wireless monitoring platform, , Smiths medical modell CADD Solis.
Intervention group; ward with PCA pumps using the wireless monitoring platform. Control group; ward using regularly PCA pumps. The patients' survey includes questions regarding satisfaction, participation and user-friendliness of the PCA pump. Patients will fill in the survey after completion of PCA treatment. Investigators intend to investigate if there is any difference in time of treatment between the intervention- and control group and if there is an ability to individualize patients' pain relief based on improved monitoring as well as the possibility of follow-up and quality work.
The nurses' survey includes questions regarding the experience of monitoring and documentation work regarding PCA treatment. Nurses will fill in a questionnaire consisting of 6 questions after each work shift where they have treated one or more patient(s) with a PCA pump. Data analysis will take place in a computer program for statistical analysis. All data collected during the course of the study will be unidentified and the result will be presented at group level without the risk of tracking data to one individual.
Statistics The study population size is based on a p-value 0.05 for statistical significance and 80 % power analysis, which generates need for at least 39 participants in each group. With an estimated 10 % non-response rate, investigators need 45 participants in each group consisting in a total of 90 patients. The estimated study time is 40 weeks depending on how many PCA pumps that will be prescribed throughout the study. The study estimates to start in November 2017.
Flowchart 1: Study group patient Question about study participation Carried out at the preoperative surgery department alternatively at postoperative ward
Elective surgery with prescripiton of PCA pumps postoperatively, exclusion criteria:
Patients younger than 18 years old, inability to carry out the survey, neuropsychiatric or psychiatric disease, non-swedish speaking, drug abuser
Written consent obtained either preoperatively or postoperatively
Group assignment depending on postoperative ward
Group 1 (Intervention group) Group 2 (Control group) PCA pump and wireless monitoring PCA pump according to current monitoring routine
PCA treatment startup in either the postoperative recovery room or at the ward
Approximately 2-3 days of PCA treatment
Patient survey is filled in when PCA treatment is completed
Flow chart 2: Study group nurses Question about study participation Meeting with information prior to study startup
Nurses at the postoperative recovery room and nurses at the two surgical wards assigned for group 1 and group 2, exclusion criteria:
No education/experience in working with PCA pumps, lack of basic knowledge in English
Written consent obtained before study start
Group allocation depending on work place/ward
Group 1 (Intervention group) Group 2 (Control group) PCA pump + wireless monitoring PCA pump according to current monitoring routine
Exposure time approximately 40 weeks
Nurses fill in the survey consisting of 6 questions after each work shift where they have treated one or more patient(s) with a PCA pump
