Мобильная версия

Журнал «Медицина неотложных состояний» Том 21, №6, 2025

Менеджмент болю в українському шпиталі в умовах війни за допомогою доступного цифрового інструмента

Авторы: V.M. Suskyi (1), V. Sazhko (1), V.V. Martsiniv (1), A. Khomenko (1), A.M. Strokan (1, 2)
(1) - Feofaniya Clinical Hospital, Kyiv, Ukraine
(2) - Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

Рубрики: Медицина неотложных состояний

Разделы: Справочник специалиста

Ведення гострого болю в умовах війни й обмежених ресурсів є складним клінічним викликом. У цій статті описано досвід української лікарні, де було впроваджено просту систему моніторингу болю на базі Google Sheets. Цей підхід дав змогу фіксувати рівень болю, аналгезію та зміни в стані пацієнтів у режимі реального часу, забезпечуючи ефективну комунікацію між черговими змінами. Використання Google Sheets не потребує додаткових витрат і може бути адаптоване до інших кризових ситуацій, зокрема стихійних лих або економічної нестабільності, коли відсутні складні медичні інформаційні системи.

Handling acute pain in the middle of a war is extremely challenging, especially when you don’t have enough resources. This article describes the use of Google Sheets as a simple, accessible system for recording and managing pain at a Ukrainian hospital during wartime. The approach offers a low-cost and flexible tool to help healthcare providers monitor pain scores, pain relief interventions and patient progress in medical care. This method isn’t restricted to war zones or particular healthcare systems.

Ключевые слова

менеджмент болю; Google Sheets; обмежені ресурси; гострий біль; військова медицина

pain management; Google Sheets; resource-limited settings; acute pain; wartime medicine

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.22141/2224-0586.21.6.2025.1940

Introduction

No hospital finds it easy to manage acute pain, but if you’re stuck somewhere chaotic and short on resources — think war zones — it’s on a whole different level. More pro–minent hospitals usually have comprehensive electronic health records systems to track pain levels, treatments, and patient progress. Still, such systems seldom hold up in emergencies or tough situations [1]. This limitation led to the adoption of Google Sheets as a free and elegant solution for managing pain in our hospital. We postulate that this system may be beneficial in other low-resource settings [2]. Our pain management team works in a Ukrainian hospital that treats a diverse multitude of trauma-related injuries in both soldiers and civilians affected by the war. Approximately 50 % of the total capacity beds are occupied by patients with combat-related trauma. Before the full-scale war, our hospital did not have a dedicated pain management service, and we had to adapt quickly to establish one. Currently, our duty pain specialists visit dozens (20–30) of the most complicated patients daily. A vast number of patients presented was a tremendous logistic challenge, especially concerning tracking information about pain dynamics and treatment interventions and effectively communicating these from one duty doctor to the following [3]. Although we had an electronic medical records system, it was inadequate for the specific needs of pain monitoring. Google Sheets was selected as the proper instrument due to its simplicity and effectiveness. It supports the acute pain management service and has aided in develo–ping a chronic pain management service. It allows real-time data entry and patient monitoring and provides a practical solution in settings without advanced technical resources.

The aim. This article highlights how a simple, everyday tool like Google Sheets can effectively support acute pain management, especially during crisis situations or when resources and specialised medical equipment aren’t available.

Materials and methods

A simple system based on Google Sheets was created to track patient data, pain scores (using the Visual Analog Scale, VAS), treatments provided, and patient progress. The sheet clearly indicates patients who require extra attention, includes detailed notes on observations and provides re–commendations for upcoming shifts. Managing acute pain is always challenging, but in high-stress environments with limited resources, like war zones, it becomes even more difficult. Well-equipped hospitals usually depend on advanced electronic health record systems to monitor pain levels, treatments, and patient progress.

General patient information

Priority flags. High-priority patients needing close monitoring are marked with red colours.

Patient details. This section records last check-up dates, room numbers, names, and brief diagnoses.

Observations and recommendations. Notes include the latest treatment interventions, regional catheter placement, rehabilitation status, and plans for subsequent shifts (Fig. 1).

Detailed pain and treatment log

Daily pain assessments. Pain levels are recorded daily, including specific types like phantom limb pain [4].

Pain tracking. Changes in pain levels over time are monitored using the VAS.

Treatment details. Regional anaesthesias and systemic medications are monitored, with adjustments recorded [5].

Additional notes. Includes details on intravenous access, mental health support, rehabilitation progress, and sleep quality (Fig. 2).

Review and discussion

The hospital had an electronic records system, but it wasn’t fitted for following patient pain effectively. A simpler and more practical solution was urgently required. Google Sheets was a perfect fit — easy to get going, straightforward for staff to use, and it didn’t cost a thing extra.

Benefits of using Google Sheets

Accessibility. Google Sheets is accessible from any team member’s device, facilitating updates and data sharing.

Special equipment is not required. All personal smartphones, tablets and laptops suit this application.

Chronological tracking. Tracks each patient’s treatment progress, ensuring smoother shift transitions.

Cost-effectiveness. Because Google Sheets is free, it works well in resource-limited settings.

Data analysis. Tracking treatment outcomes over time helps improve and adjust pain management protocols [6].

Sustainability. This system does not require vast amounts of consumables.

Challenges and limitations

Data security. Patient data may be vulnerable due to a deficiency of advanced safety measures [7].

Manual data entry. Manually entering data takes time and increases the possibility of errors.

Lack of integration. Google Sheets doesn’t sync with the hospital system, which can cause duplicate records and create space for miscommunication [8].

Even with these limitations, two years of using Google Sheets for pain service has shown that it is an effective and flexible tool for tracking patient pain in our challenging, resource-limited environment. It works better than paper forms and expensive electronic systems, which we did not have access to before the war and which are even less accessible now.

Conclusions

Google Sheets offers a simple yet effective way to manage acute pain in settings where resources are limited. Its real-time data tracking helps maintain continuity of care, making it a valuable tool for hospitals and crises worldwide. Sharing this experience aims to support other healthcare teams facing similar challenges, whether due to war, natural disasters, or financial struggles.

Received 28.04.2025

Revised 05.06.2025

Accepted 18.06.2025

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