Patient experiences improved pain relief through use of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic measures to maximize comfort levels associated with chemotherapy-related adverse effects, such as joint pain,...

Patient experiences improved pain relief through use of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic measures to maximize comfort levels associated with chemotherapy-related adverse effects, such as joint pain, stomatitis, and GI distress.

• Patient requests medication(s) for comfort before pain is uncontrollable and severe.

• Patient uses a number scale of 0 to 10 for identification of pain level, with 0 being no pain and 10 representing worst pain ever experienced.

• Patient uses nonpharmacologic measures (such as relaxation, music therapy, pet therapy, biofeedback, massage, therapeutic touch, and diversion) concurrently with drug therapy for increasing comfort levels.