CareSearch’s important role
CareSearch is an important partner in the palliative care evidence cycle. Our online presence provides support across Australia including regional and remote centres where access to services may be more limited.
In support of clinical decision-making we have recently updated our Clinical Evidence section on Patient Management. This has involved extensive searching, appraisal and synthesis of the evidence across 15 common symptoms. Review of all content by experts including our CareSearch Advisory Group is part of our quality process and ensures information relevance to the Australian care context.
As part of this, the evidence relating to Pain has been substantially updated and here we guide you to some of the new content that can be used to support best practice in palliative care.
Evidence in pain management
Pain Assessment:
The first step in effective management is assessment of pain. Self-report is the gold standard and indicates intensity or severity, and there are tools available to assist with assessment.
There is no pain assessment tool which is regarded as ideal, but there are a number of options depending on the context of care. [4] We have examined the evidence underpinning available tools for across the life course and highlight validated tools for different age groups and populations. See Pain Assessment.