STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND HEALTH SERVICES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AMONG HEALTH PERSONNEL IN CAMEROON

Pain remains the first reason for consultation encountered in several health imbalances. The subjective evaluation of pain despite the existence of pain evaluation tools is a reality which justifies the practice of self-medication and poly-medication with significant consequences on the health of individuals and in turn on the health system. Objective: Raise the characteristics of health professionals and services caring for victims of pain in the West – Cameroon. Methodology: This quantitative observational study of the pain management environment and the professionals involved took place among 230 health professionals working in the West Cameroon region. Respondents were selected using two sampling techniques: 03-degree probability sampling and systematic non-probability sampling within tertiary units. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software, Version 25. The statistics were assessed at the 5% threshold. Results: The median age was 26 years (IQR: 22-54 years). More than half of the professionals surveyed (58.5%) were male Doctors and Nurses. (χ² = 14.32; p < 0.0001). The youth of the study population was associated with considerably low professional seniority where 45.20% of the staff involved in pain care had less than one year of professional experience. (χ² = 17.50; p < 0.0001).An unequal distribution of health professionals surveyed in the study site was noted. The Dschang health district brings together almost half (46.10%) of the personnel surveyed while the Mifi and Mbouda health districts each record less than a third of these professionals (30.40%) (χ² = 17 .51; p <0.0001) The use of the two standard pain assessment tools (VAS and EN) in health facilities determined the process of assessing the intensity of pain felt by patients (χ² = 226.01; p < 0.0001), VC = 1; CC = 0.71). Conclusion: Taking into account contextualized ratios of caregivers/people being treated and equity in the institutional distribution of caregivers within health services would facilitate the evaluation of the achievement of treatment objectives and the implementation of a more humanized system. monitoring of treated patients.