Pain assessment is an integral part of providing quality patient care. Treatment of pain is driven by the findings of the pain assessment. Pain assessment provides health care professionals with the information necessary to effectively mange a patient's course of treatment and plan of care. To assess and manage pain with the best possible outcomes, the health care provider must depend on the patient's subjective description in addition to objective tools. Barriers, related to the patient's religion or cultural beliefs, and/or lack of knowledge on the part of the health care providers often impede proper assessment and treatment of patients' pain.
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