TITLE:
Disparities in Pain Management in the Emergency Department: An Integrative Review
AUTHORS:
Melanie Johnson, Katrina Richardson, Suha Al-Oballi Kridli
KEYWORDS:
Pain, Emergency, Analgesia, Integrative Review
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.4 No.8,
July
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The purpose of this integrative
review is to investigate the degree of variability in the prescribing
approaches to acute pain management in the emergency department (ED) setting.
Variations in analgesic prescribing among ethnic and racial minorities as they
compare to non-minority patients with similar complaints of pain will be
examined. Data Sources: A comprehensive review of the literature was
conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL databases. Inclusion criteria of
the studies were: US studies; published between 2002 and 2012; English language;
with at least one aim or analysis comparing prescription of analgesia between a
racial or ethnic minority and non-minority group in the ED. Key words used to
obtain relevant articles included pain management; analgesia prescription;
minority; race; ethnicity; emergency department; disparities. Conclusion: A
research summary concluded that racial and ethnic disparities in pain
management continue to exist in the ED setting. When compared to Caucasian
patients, African American and non-white ethnicities were less likely to
receive analgesia. Language barriers, experience of providers, and trust were
among the contributors to pain management disparities. Implications for
Practice: The role of the nurse is to incorporate cultural competence in
assessing and achieving equitable pain management across all racial/ethnic
groups.