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Open research questions in Pain Management and Opioid Use

349 gap statements mined from Pain Management and Opioid Use papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,309 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The study identifies challenges in the use of analgetics and supportives in palliative care, including the risk of side effects and the need for careful dosing. It also highlights the importance of adequate training and expertise for healthcare professionals involved in palliative care. The study notes the complexity of palliative care, particularly in the context of advanced oncological diseases.

    Analgetika und Supportiva im letzten Lebensmonat · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap is not explicitly stated in the paper, but it can be inferred that there is a need for effective analgesia strategies that minimize opioid-related complications. The current study aims to address this gap by investigating the combination of dexamethasone and pregabalin.

    Combination of dexamethasone and pregabalin for postoperative pain after laminectomy: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Overall, while both paracetamol and NSAIDs are commonly prescribed and theoretically beneficial, high-quality, adequately powered studies in patients with cancer pain are scarce.

    Paracetamol and NSAIDs in Cancer Pain Management: Evidence Review and Treatment Considerations · 2026 · DOI

  • Comparative data between individual NSAIDs, routes of administration, and longer-term use are lacking.

    Paracetamol and NSAIDs in Cancer Pain Management: Evidence Review and Treatment Considerations · 2026 · DOI

  • Significance statementPredictors of opioid response in chronic neuropathic pain remain poorly understood, and treatment expectation has received little attention in this setting.

    Predictors of methadone response in chronic neuropathic pain · 2026 · DOI

  • However, because the available evidence is limited and in the preliminary stages, current guidelines for clinical practice do not recommend curcumin.

    Curcumin as a Potential Therapy for Postoperative Pain: A Systematic Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Whilst education on pain management is vital, it has been shown that education alone is insufficient to improve care.

    Implementing Pain Management Approaches Among Patients With Dementia in an Acute Hospital Setting: A Scoping Review · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of standardised, person-centred protocols for managing pain in patients with dementia and a dearth of evidence relating to pain reduction among this client group.

    Implementing Pain Management Approaches Among Patients With Dementia in an Acute Hospital Setting: A Scoping Review · 2026 · DOI

  • "Ambulance truths", informal, station-specific beliefs, filled gaps where formal guidance was lacking.

    Fentanyl or Morphine? a qualitative investigation of solo responding paramedics´ decision-making in prehospital care · 2026 · DOI

  • Although both opioids are available, the choice between them is made by individual clinicians in time-critical situations, often with limited information, variable transport conditions, and minimal organisational feedback.

    Fentanyl or Morphine? a qualitative investigation of solo responding paramedics´ decision-making in prehospital care · 2026 · DOI

  • Emergency medical services (EMS) nurses play a crucial role in assessing and managing pain, yet their perspectives on prehospital analgesia remain underexplored.

    Nurses’ perspectives on providing analgesia in the Italian prehospital emergency setting: A phenomenological study · 2025 · DOI

  • However, findings on the clinical utility of these dementia medications for chronic pain treatment are mixed, and little is known about differences in the use of pain medication according to whether an older adult with AD/ADRD is using dementia medications.

    Dementia Medications and Their Association with Pain Medication Use in Medicare Beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s Disease/Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias and Chronic Pain · 2025 · DOI

  • Future studies are needed to examine repurposing dementia medications for pain treatment.

    Dementia Medications and Their Association with Pain Medication Use in Medicare Beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s Disease/Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias and Chronic Pain · 2025 · DOI

  • To date there are no data on the real-world use of the PainChek ® App in Portugal.

    Protocol for a usability and pilot implementation study of a digital medical device to assess pain in non-verbal people with dementia in Portuguese residential care facilities · 2025 · DOI

  • However, little is known about the concurrent use of non-pharmacological analgesia.

    The use and outcomes of non-pharmacological analgesia in the adult emergency department · 2024 · DOI

  • Intravenous lidocaine is used in clinical practice in patients with PDAC and CP, but its efficacy has not been studied prospectively.

    Intravenous Lidocaine for Refractory Pain in Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Chronic Pancreatitis: A Multicenter Prospective Nonrandomized Pilot Study · 2024 · DOI

  • Fifth, the low utilization thresholds that the authors employed have not been examined in prior studies, and their validity as an indicator of clinically meaningful PCA use remains to be established. However, in settings where multimodal strategies are not fully established, a longer PCA duration may still be required to maintain adequate analgesia.

    Beyond opioid dosage: temporal dynamics of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia use captured by electronic device logs—a post hoc analysis of three randomized controlled trials · 2026 · DOI

  • The certainty of evidence was evaluated as low for all outcomes, mainly due to population heterogeneity and lack of uniformity in intervention administration. Missing outcome data and selective reporting were sources of uncertainty. The main source of concern related to confounding and participant selection in nonrandomized studies.

    Cannabinoids and opioid consumption in cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Patient-related barriers, such as fear of addiction and limited knowledge, interfere with effective pain management. Clinical silence, or the relational failure of care, contributes to inadequate cancer pain management. The current approach to cancer pain management is inadequate, focusing primarily on pharmacological availability.

    The unheard pain: why patient-related barriers remain the weakest link in cancer pain management · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at addressing patient-related barriers in cancer pain management. Studies should explore the impact of clinical silence on patient outcomes and the role of individualized education in improving cancer pain care.

    The unheard pain: why patient-related barriers remain the weakest link in cancer pain management · 2026 · DOI

  • BackgroundAlthough opioids are frequently prescribed for refractory chronic neuropathic pain, few data are available on baseline factors that may identify individuals more likely to respond and inform individually tailored practice.

    Predictors of methadone response in chronic neuropathic pain · 2026 · DOI

  • Collaborative engagement from all stakeholders may be essential to achieve this goal and improve outcomes across organisational levels. Table 2 provides a summary of these recommendations.

    Optimising pain management in intensive care setting: Insights from a realist evaluation · 2026 · DOI

  • Provide coaching, feedback, and recognition systems. Address team tensions to enhance performance. Update knowledge and skills in pain management. Understand consequences of poor pain assessment. Embrace change and assert professional identity.

    Optimising pain management in intensive care setting: Insights from a realist evaluation · 2026 · DOI

  • Weitere Studien sollten die Verordnungspraxis von Analgetika und Supportiva in anderen Settings und Ländern untersuchen. Die Entwicklung von Interventionsstudien, um die Verordnungspraxis von Opioiden und anderen Medikamenten in der ambulanten PV zu verbessern.

    Analgetika und Supportiva im letzten Lebensmonat · 2026 · DOI

  • The study only included a relatively healthy, non-comorbid population, - The study had a limited sample size of 800 patients, - The study only evaluated the combination of dexamethasone and pregabalin, - The study did not assess long-term…

    Combination of dexamethasone and pregabalin for postoperative pain after laminectomy: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Pain Management and Opioid Use

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The gap is not explicitly stated in the paper, but it can be inferred that there is a need for effective analgesia strategies that minimize opioid-related complications (“Combination of dexamethasone and pregabalin for postoperative pain after…”, 2026); (2) While both paracetamol and NSAIDs are commonly prescribed and theoretically beneficial, high-quality, adequately powered studies in patients with cancer pain are scarce (“Paracetamol and NSAIDs in Cancer Pain Management: Evidence Review and Treatment…”, 2026); (3) Significance statementPredictors of opioid response in chronic neuropathic pain remain poorly understood, and treatment expectation has received little attention in this setting (“Predictors of methadone response in chronic neuropathic pain”, 2026); (4) There is a lack of standardised, person-centred protocols for managing pain in patients with dementia and a dearth of evidence relating to pain reduction among this client group (“Implementing Pain Management Approaches Among Patients With Dementia in an…”, 2026); (5) Fifth, the low utilization thresholds that the authors employed have not been examined in prior studies, and their validity as an indicator of clinically meaningful PCA use remains to be established (“Beyond opioid dosage: temporal dynamics of intravenous patient-controlled…”, 2026). 349 gap statements have been mined from Pain Management and Opioid Use papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,309 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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