Abstract:Objective: To investigate the current status of cognition and management on chronic pain in the elderly among medical staff at different hospital tiers in China, providing a reference for formulating relevant policies, improving management levels, and conducting targeted training. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted via a questionnaire among voluntarily participating medical professionals nationwide. The survey covered information on patient contact, training history, cognition regarding pain diagnosis and pain assessment of elderly pain patients. Result: A total of 4402 medical staff from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China were included. Research has found that chronic pain among the elderly is highly prevalent, with community medical staff encountering it more frequently. Most medical staff endorsed multimodal pain management and individualized treatment approaches, though variations existed across different hospital tiers. Musculoskeletal and osteoarticular diseases were widely recognized as the main causes of chronic pain in the elderly, but differences emerged in assessment methods and imaging utilization. Medical staff at all levels were relatively lacking in pain management training and expressed strong demand for such education. Conclusion: Facing the increasingly aging population, medical staff in China still exhibit significant gaps in their cognition and management of chronic pain in the elderly, with notable variations among medical staff across different hospital tiers.
