Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Comparative Study
Intrarace differences among black and white americans presenting for chronic pain management: the influence of age, physical health, and psychosocial factors.
Emerging comparative literature documents significant racial differences in the chronic pain experience in terms of physical, psychological, and social well-being. However, the intrarace differences of chronic pain among black Americans and white Americans has not been extensively investigated. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the potential within-race-group differential effects and the psychosocial aspects of chronic pain in black and white Americans across age groups. ⋯ Examining within-race-group variability suggests that chronic pain differentially affects the quality of life and health status of black Americans and white Americans across age groups. This study emphasizes the need for further chronic pain studies examining pain indicators within defined racial and ethnic groups.
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Comparative Study
Disparities in occupational low back injuries: predicting pain-related disability from satisfaction with case management in African Americans and Caucasians.
To predict post-settlement pain-related disability from claimant race and satisfaction with Workers' Compensation case management. ⋯ For African Americans and lower socioeconomic status persons in the Workers' Compensation system, less treatment/compensation was associated with lower satisfaction with the process, which in turn predicted higher levels of post-settlement disability. Given that the function of Workers' Compensation is to reduce disability from work-related injuries, the current results suggest that the system produces inequitable outcomes for these groups.
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To determine whether race is a predictor of a patient's likelihood of being prescribed selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2s) versus other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) in Medicaid managed care plans (MCO). ⋯ Patient race is a significant predictor of COX-2 prescriptions in the Medicaid population, even after adjusting for other demographic and clinical variables. Cost to the patient was not a factor, as the patient copayment was 1 US dollar for any prescription.