Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2004
The treatment outcomes of pain survey (TOPS): a clinical monitoring and outcomes instrument for chronic pain practice and research.
The field of health outcomes research has increased the utilization of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) instruments to document economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes (ECHO). The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item Questionnaire (MOSSF-36, SF-36) has been utilized extensively in many disease states for this purpose, although it is not validated for use in chronic pain patients. ⋯ The TOPS is well validated in these patients. In addition to its utility as an outcomes research tool, the TOPS is sensitive enough to document clinical changes in individual patients, making it a useful assessment tool for clinicians.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2004
Would depression management relieve pain and improve function.
Chronic pain represents an important clinical, social, and economic problem that often is confounded by affective disorders. While clinicians do not know if chronic pain induces depression or depression initiates pain, co-morbidity is common and the burden of illness increases when patients suffer from both illnesses. ⋯ Patients who have chronic pain also may benefits from antidepressant medications for improved function and quality of life. To obtain optimal clinical outcomes, it is imperative to address both conditions when planning therapy for and studies of chronic pain.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2004
The American Pain Foundation TARGET Chronic Pain Initiative: better patient/clinician communication to improve pain management.
The American Pain Foundation has developed a program to improve clinician-chronic pain patient communication. The program includes a card describing a six part evaluation process for clinicians and patient notebook in which important daily information is recorded. The program is described including information on how to obtain the resources.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2004
Comparative StudyClinician beliefs about opioid use and barriers in chronic nonmalignant pain.
A survey of the medical directors of multidisciplinary pain clinics and multidisciplinary pain centers listed in the American Pain Society Pain Facilities Directory was conducted to define those pain specialists' beliefs about the role of opioid analgesia in 14 types of chronic nonmalignant pain. Respondents also reported their perceptions of barriers to their prescribing opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain and what they perceived as barriers to opioid prescribing for chronic nonmalignant pain by other, non-pain specialist clinicians in their communities. The respondents are characterized by demographics, disciplines, specialties, and time in practice. ⋯ There is increasing acceptance of opioids for most of the listed types of chronic nonmalignant pain, but the acceptance varies by types of pain syndromes. Opioids were most consistently accepted for sickle cell disease pain and least commonly endorsed for headaches, myofascial pain, and fibromyalgia. Factors that may influence clinicians' perceptions about opioids are discussed.