Table 2.
Perceived barriers to CPM on the BQ-II by Libyan HCPs (n = 152), using an independent t-test (unadjusted estimate)
| Items in the questionnaire | Mean scores (SD) | 95% CI | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurses | Physicians | |||
| 1. Drowsiness from pain medicine is difficult to control | 3.1 (1.7) | 2.4 (1.5) | 0.175, 1.221 | 0.009** |
| 2. Confusion from pain medicine cannot be controlled | 3.0 (1.6) | 2.2 (1.4) | 0.306, 1.273 | 0.002** |
| 3. When the patient uses pain medicine, his/her body becomes used to its effects, and, pretty soon, it will not work anymore | 4.0 (1.0) | 3.5 (1.4) | 0.137, 0.901 | 0.008** |
| 4. Using pain medicine blocks the patient’s ability to know if he/she has any new pain | 3.5 (1.5) | 3.0 (1.7) | 0.242, 1.316 | 0.005** |
| 5. Nausea from pain medicine cannot be relieved | 2.5 (2.0) | 1.3 (1.3) | 0.631, 1.783 | 0.000*** |
| 6. Pain medicine makes patients say or do embarrassing things | 2.5 (1.9) | 1.6 (1.4) | 0.289, 1.452 | 0.004** |
| 7. If a patient takes pain medicine when he/she has some pain, then it might not work as well if the pain becomes worse | 3.5 (1.5) | 3.2 (1.5) | − 0.233, 0.766 | 0.293 |
| 8. Pain medicine can keep patients from knowing what is going on in their bodies | 3.3 (1.6) | 2.2 (1.7) | 0.473, 1.569 | 0.000*** |
| 9. Constipation from pain medicine cannot be relieved | 2.5 (1.7) | 1.4 (1.4) | 0.525, 1.587 | 0.000*** |
| 10. It is easier for a patient to put up with pain than the side effects that come from pain medicine | 3.3 (1.7) | 2.1 (1.8) | 0.563, 1.697 | 0.000*** |
| 11. If the patient uses pain medicine now, it will not work as well if he/she needs it later | 3.4 (1.6) | 2.6 (1.7) | 0.243, 1.357 | 0.005** |
| 12. Pain medicine can mask changes in the patient’s health | 3.3 (1.7) | 2.6 (1.6) | 0.217, 1.298 | 0.006** |
| 13. Cancer pain can be relived | 1.3 (1.4) | 1.2 (1.16) | − 0.325, 0.549 | 0.611 |
| 14. Pain medicine can effectively control cancer pain | 1.5 (1.3) | 1.5 (1.4) | − 0.416, 0.486 | 0.878 |
| 15. Medicine can relieve cancer pain | 1.2 (1.4) | 1.1 (1.2) | − 0.385, 0.462 | 0.857 |
| 16. It is important for the patient to be strong by not talking about his/her pain | 3.3 (1.7) | 1.8 (1.9) | 0.809, 1.998 | 0.000*** |
| 17. It is important for the doctor to focus on curing illness and not waste time controlling pain | 3.8 (1.7) | 1.5 (2.0) | 1.627, 2.829 | 0.000*** |
| 18. If doctors have to deal with the pain, they will not concentrate on curing the disease | 2.1 (1.9) | 1.2 (1.7) | 0.358, 1.586 | 0.002** |
| 19. Doctors might find it annoying to be told about the pain | 2.2 (2.0) | 1.0 (1.5) | 0.615, 1869 | 0.000*** |
| 20. Reports of pain could distract a doctor from curing cancer | 2.1 (2.0) | 1.1 (1.6) | 0.378, 1.594 | 0.002** |
| 21. If the patient talks about pain, people will think he/she is a complainer | 2.9 (2.0) | 2.0 (2.0) | 0.438, 1.717 | 0.001** |
| 22. There is a danger of patients becoming addicted to pain medicine | 4.0 (1.4) | 3.2 (1.5) | 0.306, 1.273 | 0.002** |
| 23. Pain medicine weakens the immune system | 3.0 (1.8) | 1.9 (1.7) | 0.580, 1.736 | 0.000*** |
| 24. Many people with cancer get addicted to pain medicine | 4.0 (1.5) | 3.4 (1.5) | − 0.072, 0.914 | 0.094 |
| 25. Using pain medicine can harm a patient’s immune system | 3.5 (1.7) | 1.7 (1.7) | 1.245, 2.362 | 0.000*** |
| 26. Pain medicine can hurt a patient’s immune system | 3.4 (1.7) | 1.7 (1.7) | 1.202, 2.314 | 0.000*** |
| 27. Pain medicine is very addictive | 3.8 (1.6) | 3.0 (1.5) | 0.277, 1.274 | 0.003** |
| Overall mean scores for the BQ-II | 3.8 (0.7) | 2.9 (0.8) | 0.64, 1.12 | 0.000*** |
SD, standard deviation; %, percentage; CI, confidence interval; p-value, the probability; **p < 0.05; ***p < 0.001