Assessment and patient selection process for a pain management programme: a case study in specialty care

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Clinical Audit
• Healthcare Service Evaluation

Background:

• Audited patient assessment and selection for pain management programmes.
• Reviewed against the latest British Pain Society guidelines for adult pain management.
• Examined clinician use of inclusion/exclusion criteria in practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit the patient assessment and selection process for a pain management programme.
• To review current practices against established best practice guidelines.
• To understand the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria by clinicians.

Main Methods:

• Audit of 200 consecutive patient records from a specialist pain management service.
• Analysis of patient outcomes: offered programme, discharged, or referred.
• Review of clinic letters for assessment outcomes and criteria used.

Main Results:

• 53% of patients were offered a programme; 44.7% were discharged.
• Most common exclusion reasons: not ready for self-management (35%), complex needs (29.5%), patient declining (19.3%).
• Intensive residential programmes were most frequently offered (30.5%).

Conclusions:

• Challenges exist in patient selection, particularly with expectations of pain reduction versus self-management.
• Patients with complex needs may require prior interventions before programme engagement.
• A spectrum of pain management programme intensities is beneficial for individual patient needs.