Articles: pain-clinics.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Mar 2013
Access to public healthcare services and waiting times for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain: feedback from a tertiary pain clinic.
Evaluation of healthcare services by patients is an essential component of quality improvement. We studied association between patient satisfaction and accessibility of healthcare services to patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. A hundred patients from the Pain Clinic, Split University Hospital Center, Split, Croatia, completed a 27-item questionnaire about their condition, duration of chronic pain treatment, access to healthcare, waiting times for various healthcare services, and their satisfaction with the pain clinic and health system. ⋯ Negative association was found between waiting time for pain clinic appointment and healthcare system grade (r = -0.34, P = 0.02). Patient suggestions for improving pain clinic were more staff, better approach to each patient, and better organization. In conclusion, access to public healthcare for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain should be better to improve patient satisfaction and provide better care.
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Prescription opioid abuse has become the biggest drug problem facing the United States, surpassing abuse of cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin combined. For physicians treating patients with chronic pain, deciding whether to prescribe opioids, especially long-term, can be a challenge. This article describes the history of the opioid abuse problem in the United States, new agents that are effective but less prone to abuse, and tools physicians can use to evaluate whether a patient is a candidate for prescription opioids or other options for pain control.
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Acceptance as a process variable in relation to catastrophizing in multidisciplinary pain treatment.
The underlying processes of change that contribute to the effectiveness of multidisciplinary pain treatment require clarification. Previous research has found support for pain acceptance as a process variable in acceptance-based treatment. Preliminary findings indicate that pain acceptance may also be a process variable in traditional cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of pain acceptance as a process variable in CBT relative to two empirically supported process variables, namely catastrophizing and pain intensity. ⋯ Although not specifically targeted in CBT treatment, acceptance of pain was an important process variable that contributed to CBT treatment outcomes after controlling for changes in pain intensity and catastrophizing. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
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Bmc Musculoskel Dis · Jan 2013
Observational StudyPredictors of outcome of multidisciplinary treatment in chronic widespread pain: an observational study.
The effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment in chronic widespread pain (CWP) is limited. The considerable heterogeneity among patients is a likely explanation. Knowledge on predictors of the outcome of multidisciplinary treatment can help to optimize treatment effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of multidisciplinary treatment outcome in patients with CWP. ⋯ Less anxiety, stronger beliefs in personal control, less belief in consequences, less pain, less fatigue, higher level of education, and male gender are predictors of better outcome of multidisciplinary treatment in CWP. Tailoring treatment to these specific patient characteristics or selecting eligible patients for multidisciplinary treatment may further improve treatment outcome.