Pain centers professionals' beliefs on non-cancer chronic pain

Abstract

The beliefs and attitudes of health professionals affect the care ultimately provided to patients. The objective of this study was to analyze health professionals' beliefs toward chronic no cancer pain in nine (82%) pain centers in the city of S.Paulo. The Survey of Chronic Pain Attitudes- Professionals was employed to evaluate pain professionals' beliefs toward emotions, control, disability, solicitude, cure and harm. A total of 75 health professionals (59%), most of whom were doctors (44), followed by physical therapist (11) and dentists (8), were interviewed. The professionals professed a belief in a medical cure for chronic pain, that solicitous displays were desirable behaviors in treating pain, that chronic pain is related to injury and that it is the cause of disability, all of which are erroneous beliefs. Contrary to the expected result, the health professionals with more experience and education did not express more appropriate beliefs. These beliefs may compromise the treatment of patients with chronic pain and should therefore be reviewed.