The Role of the Cardiac Surgery Patient in Pain Management: The Patient Perspective

One and a half million cardiac surgeries are completed worldwide each year where undertreated postoperative pain increases the risk of patient morbidity and mortality. Patient-centered pain management is recommended to improve patient outcomes but there is insufficient information regarding how the patient views their role. The objective of this study is to explore cardiac surgery patients' perspectives on their role in postoperative pain management. This study used an interpretive phenomenological design and convenience sampling. Six participants who had undergone cardiac surgery were recruited from a cardiac rehabilitation program in Western Canada. The first author conducted semi-structured digitally recorded interviews. Sociodemographic characteristics and measures of anxiety and depression were also collected. Emergent thematic analysis of the qualitative data generated three themes: <i>attitude</i>, <i>coping and care</i>, and <i>communication</i>. The findings of this study address a gap in the literature with regard to patients' perceived roles in pain management. There is a complex relationship between patient attitude, coping and care, and communication which, in turn, influences how patients view their role within the pain management continuum. These themes contribute to the development of the patient role within the pain management continuum and form an integrated feedback loop. The patient's attitude contributes to their ability to cope with pain and participate in pain assessment and management. Furthermore, their ability to cope and desire to participate influences the development of their attitude. These findings may enhance providers' understanding of the patient's perspective and improve pain management outcomes.