Chronic pain is a common condition affecting around half of the population. Patients with chronic pain often require a range of painkillers, some of which include strong painkillers similar to morphine. However, studies have shown problems with these types of painkillers including side effects, overdoses, increases in pain and addiction. In addition, patients with chronic pain often require multiple appointments with both GPs and hospitals. Some of these patients are referred to the pain clinic at the hospital, therefore we would like to examine whether attendance at pain clinic can reduce patient appointments and usage of strong morphine-like painkillers. The results of this study will help plan future pain clinic interventions and help to develop ways to reduce patient attendance in primary care.
Chronic pain has a prevalence of around 50%. However, few of these patients are treated by pain specialists and many receive inadequate pain relief. Despite this, it is currently unclear what effect referral to pain clinic has on analgesic and healthcare utilisation. Opioids are commonly used to treat patients with chronic pain despite concerns over lack of efficacy, opioid-induced hyperalgesia and adverse events including overdose and potential addiction. It is currently unclear what effect pain clinic attendance has on opioid usage. Furthermore, as chronic pain patients represent high levels of healthcare usage, pain clinic referral may represent an effective strategy to reduce healthcare utilisation. We will examine all patients referred to pain clinic in 2010 and perform a retrospective single group cohort study of those patients taking opioids. Healthcare utilisation and medicine usage for the year before and after referral will be evaluated using linear mixed and Poisson regression.
John Williams - Chief Investigator - University of Nottingham
Brett Doleman - Corresponding Applicant - University of Nottingham
Brett Doleman - Collaborator - University of Nottingham
Roger Knaggs - Collaborator - University of Nottingham
HES Accident and Emergency;HES Outpatient