Preoperative PCA teaching program to manage postoperative pain.

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) therapy was designed to provide patients with greater control in managing their pain. However, many patients continue to suffer from moderate to severe pain due to lack of knowledge about how to use PCA therapy. The results of this quasi-experimental study demonstrated that patients who received structured preoperative teaching had statistically significant higher knowledge regarding the use of PCA therapy and more positive attitudes toward using pain medicine. Patients who received the video teaching reported better pain control and satisfaction with pain management 4 and 8 hours following their surgical procedures.