Health & body · 2010
How do family caregivers decide what to do when someone with cancer has pain at home?
A grounded theory study involving 24 family caregivers developed a model called “the puzzle of pain management.” It describes drawing on past experiences, strategizing a game plan, striving to respond to pain, and gauging the best fit—the decision-making process that joins the pieces.
Details
This grounded theory study aimed to understand the processes family caregivers use to manage cancer patients’ pain at home. A total of 24 family caregivers participated, recruited through purposeful sampling followed by theoretical sampling.
The data came from recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews and field notes. Analysis followed Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) requirements for open, axial, and selective coding.
The researchers developed an explanatory model called “the puzzle of pain management.” It includes four main processes: “drawing on past experiences,” “strategizing a game plan,” “striving to respond to pain,” and “gauging the best fit.” The last is a decision-making process that joins the puzzle pieces.
Understanding how family caregivers assemble these pieces can help health care professionals make decisions about the care plans they create for pain control. It can also help them recognize the importance of providing information as part of resolving the puzzle of pain management.
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