RADAR Consensus Statement
In January 2009, a multidisciplinary UK expert panel met* to
define and agree a practical framework to encourage implementation
of the numerous guidelines and fundamentals of pain management at a
local level.
The expert multidisciplinary panel recognised that to do this,
there was a need to organise the information and guidelines into a
simplified, accessible and easy-to-implement system.
FINDINGS
The report consolidates recommendations from key guidelines into
a simple framework to optimise acute pain management. The
recommendations agreed during the meeting are based on combining
accepted practice and practical experience.
Key priorities that emerged were Responsibility, Anticipation,
Discussion, Assessment and Response: the RADAR Approach.
The consensus statement on the anticipation and prevention of
acute postoperative pain: the multidisciplinary RADAR Approach, was
published in 'Current Medical Research and Opinion' and the full text is
available from the journal online.
PANEL
The multidisciplinary panel comprises specialists with expertise
in all aspects of pain management. The panel consists of:
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DR ANDREW VICKERS (CHAIR)
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CONSULTANT ANAESTHETIST
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UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY
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|
SUPARNA BALI
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LEAD PHARMACIST
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ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, LONDON
|
|
DR ALISTAIR BAXTER
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CONSULTANT ANAESTHETIST
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ROYAL HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, EDINBURGH
|
|
GLENN BRUCE
|
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST IN PAIN MANAGEMENT
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TAUNTON AND SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
|
|
JANICE ENGLAND
|
LEAD PAIN NURSE SPECIALIST
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CHRISTIE HOSPITAL, MANCHESTER
|
|
RUTH HEAFIELD
|
CONSULTANT NURSE IN PAIN MANAGEMENT
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CHESTERFIELD ROYAL HOSPITAL, CHESTERFIELD
|
|
PROFESSOR RICHARD LANGFORD
|
CONSULTANT ANAESTHETIST
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ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL, LONDON
|
|
DR RICHARD MAKIN
|
CONSULTANT ANAESTHETIST
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SALFORD ROYAL HOSPTIAL, SALFORD
|
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PROFESSOR IAN POWER
|
CONSULTANT ANAESTHETIST
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UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, ROYAL INFIRMARY, EDINBURGH
|
|
JACQUIE TRIM
|
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST IN ACUTE PAIN
|
SOUTHAMPTON GENERAL HOSPITAL, SOUTHAMPTON
|
TOOLS recommended in the consensus
statement
The tools below were proposed in the Consensus
Statement. You might find these useful in implementing the
RADAR Approach in your hospital.
A perioperative plan is particularly
useful for high risk patients documenting the patient's pathway and
treatment through hospital. This form may be used by the general
practitioner or during preoperative assessment prior to surgery to
inform the acute pain team of the patient's pain history and
existing medication. It also enables appropriate pain management
strategies to be agreed and regularly reviewed between the patient,
anaesthetist and pain team.
The pain assessment
tool is an example of a single uniform tool that can be used in
hospital settings for the majority of patient groups to help in
assessment and documentation of pain scores. The pain tool provided
here has both numeric and visual representations of pain scores and
is therefore suitable for most patient groups including paediatric,
mentally impaired and non-English speakers.
For additional tools that will help to aid the implementation of
RADAR in practice please visit the 'RADAR tools' page.