Intervention reduces chronic pain visits

It's hard to believe that something as simple as a 15-30 minute consultation can have an impact on chronic pain patients using the ED as their venue of choice for medical care; however, that's just what happened in the ED at Providence Newberg Medical Center in Newberg, OR. The average number of visits per patient per year dropped from 6.8 to 2.3 in just three years. Grad students met patients at the bedside, validating their physical pain while introducing the concept that there are other treatment options besides opioids. A series of letters went to patients after discharge to reinforce follow-up recommendations. Local primary care providers were enlisted to treat patients who had no "medical home."