[People with pain and intervention needs: systematic literature review]

The study aimed to determine the economic and social impact and that needs of intervention by the health services for persons with pain. It was conducted a search in EBSCO (CINAHL, MEDLINE, British Nursing Index), using the method of PI[C]O and selecting 19 articles of the total of 325 found. The neuropathic pain and the one with musculoskeletal location were identified as the most responsible for health expenditures. The factors positively associated with cost-effective met in the research were: combination of therapeutic regimen with non-pharmacological strategies, involvement of multidisciplinary teams specialized in pain management, continuity of care program in community and a telephone line for permanent support. It was concluded that the pain causes significant deterioration in quality of life, with incalculable impact on the performance of the activities of daily living.