• Hanne Irene Jensen, Karin Plesner, Nina Kvorning, Bo Lunddal Krogh, and Alan Kimper-Karl.
• Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Vejle and Middelfart Hospitals, Kabbeltoft 25, 7100 Vejle, Denmark Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsløws Vej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
• Int J Qual Health Care. 2016 Feb 1; 28 (1): 86-91.

ObjectiveTo describe the associations between demographics and health-related quality of life for chronic non-malignant pain patients.DesignA cohort study.SettingA multidisciplinary Danish pain centre.Study ParticipantsAll patients treated at the centre between 2007 and 2013.Main Outcome MeasuresLevels of pain, anxiety and depression, and physical and mental status. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used.ResultsA total of 1176 patients were included. The majority were women (64%), the mean age was 46.7 ± 14.4 (range 18-89), and 21% were able to work full or part time. On a Numeric Rating Scale from 0 to 10, median pain-intensity was 8 (interquartile range 7-8) and pain-discomfort 8 (interquartile range 7-9) at time of referral. More than half of the patients had symptoms of anxiety and depression. Most of the individual SF-36 domains had median scores between 0 and 40 (Scale from 0 to 100). Patients younger than 50 years of age as well as patients on sick leave/disability pension had significantly lower SF-36 scores. Level of pain, anxiety and depression decreased and SF-36-scores increased significantly after a course of treatment which in most cases consisted of both medical, physiotherapeutic and psychological treatment as well as health-oriented education. The chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon Signed-rank test were used for analyses.ConclusionsIn order to improve treatment at a multidisciplinary pain centre, it may be of value to target treatments to different patient subgroups based on, amongst other things, age and employment status.© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

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