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Updated: Sep 10, 2025
08:33
Author Spotlight: Methodologies and Advancements of Chronic Pain Management Research
Published on: January 5, 2024
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Hurting for Options: Emergency Department Utilization for Chronic Pain in a Safety-Net Hospital
Chun Nok Lam1, Ryan Lui1, Robert Allen2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Summary
Chronic pain is prevalent in emergency departments (EDs), with patients seeking care due to perceived emergencies. Health systems must improve management strategies for these patients.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Pain Management
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Patients with chronic pain frequently utilize emergency departments (EDs) due to accessibility.
- The impact of chronic pain on ED utilization is often underestimated.
- This study focuses on chronic pain prevalence in an urban safety-net hospital's ED.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of chronic pain among adult ED patients.
- To characterize patients presenting to the ED for chronic pain.
- To compare characteristics of chronic pain patients with acute pain and non-pain patients in the ED.
Main Methods:
- Systematic sampling of adult ED patients from June to August 2024.
- Categorization into chronic pain, acute pain, or non-pain conditions.
- Data collected on demographics, health access, ED wait times, length of stay, insurance, and arrival time.
Main Results:
- 18% of 602 participants presented to the ED for chronic pain.
- Chronic pain patients reported worse health status and used the ED as a usual source of care.
- These patients experienced longer ED stays and were more likely to perceive their visit as an emergency.
Conclusions:
- Chronic pain represents a significant burden in safety-net ED populations.
- Patients with chronic pain perceive their condition as emergent, driving ED visits.
- Effective management strategies are needed to address the unique needs of chronic pain patients in the ED.
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