Applying the PAIN indicators in a managed care setting to improve pain management

The PAIN indicators create an excellent platform for identifying appropriate patients for whom pain management should be improved within a health plan. The PAIN indicators can be applied efficiently to standard health plan integrated claims data from which a health plan can implement a flexible, phased approach to improving pain management. The program also can be expanded beyond OA and persistent LBP to affect a broader high-risk group with evidence of poorly controlled pain. Pain management has traditionally been an area that has been difficult to target; therefore, pain-specific quality-management initiatives have not been implemented in most health plans. The PAIN indicators can serve as a valuable health plan tool that can be readily implemented and will allow a health plan to advance its overall quality of care in the important area of pain management.