Effect of pre-operative education on post-operative pain management among adult patients undergoing elective surgery: An integrative review

Introduction: Adequate pain control for surgical patients is an important aspect of their post-operative care. To manage pain, health care professionals use pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. A significant worldwide increase in the number of surgical procedures and their associated cost has led to a focus on non-pharmacological interventions, like education, to prevent post-operative complications. Education in the pre-operative phase aims to assist patients in overcoming their fears about upcoming surgery, promote pain management and enhance the recovery process. Objective: This integrative review aims to assess the effectiveness of preoperative education on post-operative pain management among surgical patients. Method: Whittemore and Knafl’s framework guided this integrative review. Three databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2016 and 2022. Twenty-one primary sources reporting the influence of pre-operative education on post-operative pain were selected for review and critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data was extracted and thematically analysed, and the results were synthesised. Results: Two themes emerged from data comparison – ‘factors affecting preoperative pain education’ and ‘outcomes of pre-operative education’. Conclusion: The implementation of pre-operative education is effective in reducing post-operative pain. The results provide a landscape of the current pre-operative education practices, which indicates the need to develop a pain education program for nurses and patients. This education will allow for the implementation of interventions that improve surgical patients’ post-operative pain.