Exploring Racial Disparities in Chronic Pain Management

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pain Management
• Health Equity

Background:

• Racial disparities in healthcare access and outcomes are well-documented.
• Effective chronic pain management is essential for patient quality of life.
• Understanding referral and prescribing patterns is key to addressing inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze racial differences in chronic pain management referrals.
• To investigate racial disparities in opioid prescribing patterns.
• To identify potential targets for improving equitable pain care.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 19,919 chronic non-cancer pain patients.
• Data collected from 7/1/2020 to 7/1/2022 at an academic medical center.
• Chi-square tests and logistic regression used to assess racial group differences.

Main Results:

• Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients had lower odds for interventional pain and neurosurgical referrals compared to Non-Hispanic White patients.
• Non-Hispanic Black patients showed higher odds for orthopedic surgery and physical therapy referrals.
• Both Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients had reduced odds of receiving opioid therapy.

Conclusions:

• Significant racial disparities exist in chronic pain management referrals and opioid prescribing.
• Interventions like implicit bias training and cultural sensitivity are recommended.
• Further research is needed to address root causes and promote healthcare equity.