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A triage approach to managing a two year wait-list in a chronic pain program
Alexander J Clark1, Ian Beauprie, Lynne B Clark
1Chronic Pain Centre, Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Canada. john.clark@calgaryhealthregion.ca
Pain Research & Management
|September 22, 2005
Summary
Physician recommendations for chronic pain patients on long waiting lists improved care. A program faxing treatment suggestions to referring doctors proved helpful for many patients and physicians.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Healthcare Innovation
- Medical Education
Background:
- Long waiting times for specialist chronic pain management programs are common, leaving ~600 patients on waiting lists.
- Patients face delays of months to years for assessment and care in specialist pain management.
- An innovative program was developed to support referring physicians in managing chronic pain patients during wait times.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an innovative recommendation program for referring physicians managing patients on chronic pain waiting lists.
- To assess the utility and impact of treatment recommendations provided to physicians during patient wait times.
Main Methods:
- Referrals to a pain management unit were triaged into 'regular' and 'fast track' groups.
- Treatment recommendations were faxed to referring physicians for patients on the regular waiting list.
- Physicians received follow-up questionnaires to assess the usefulness of recommendations.
Main Results:
- Recommendations were faxed for 297 patients; 32% of physicians used them.
- Medication-based recommendations (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids) were most frequently utilized.
- Seventy-nine physicians (53% of respondents) found the recommendations helpful for patient care.
Conclusions:
- A triage and recommendation system for referring physicians can enhance chronic pain patient care during wait times.
- Physician-perceived benefit in care was observed in 26% of patients whose physicians returned questionnaires.
- The program demonstrated utility in supporting active care for patients awaiting specialist pain management.
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