Patient Empowerment Reduces Pain in Geriatric Patients After Gynecologic Onco-Surgery: Subgroup Analysis of a Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Purpose This study aimed to determine the effect of patient empowerment on acute postoperative pain. This research was part of the Patient Empowerment and Risk-Assessed Treatment to Improve Outcome in the Elderly After Onco-Surgery Trial. Design This research was a prospective randomized controlled interventional study. Methods Patients who underwent gynecologic onco-surgery were included in this analysis of demographic data, basic characteristics, pain intensity by numeric rating scale, and mode of pain therapy. The intervention included provision of detailed information booklet and patient diary. Findings Ninety-one patients were enrolled (treatment group, n = 51; control group, n = 40). With the same medications, pain on the first postoperative day was significantly less severe in the treatment group than in the control group ( P = .03). On multivariate logistic regression, patient empowerment had a significant effect on pain intensity (odds ratio, 3.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.35 to 8.86; P = .01). The number needed to treat to decrease pain from severe to mild (numeric rating scale, 5 to 10 to 0 to 4) was 4.35. Conclusions Patient empowerment significantly reduces postoperative pain in elderly patients undergoing gynecologic cancer surgery.