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Evaluation of a chronic pain programme by referring physicians
Barry A Deathe1, Edward Helmes
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Western Ontario, St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ont. N6A 1Y6 Canada Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ont. N6A 1Y6 Canada.
Pain
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Referring physicians confirmed the value of an inter-disciplinary pain program for chronic pain management. Their feedback highlighted the program
Area of Science:
- Pain Medicine
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Outcomes
Background:
- Physician perspectives are often overlooked in evaluating treatment outcomes.
- Chronic pain management requires effective inter-disciplinary programs.
- Understanding referring physician needs is crucial for program improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a 6-week inpatient inter-disciplinary pain program from the referring physicians' viewpoint.
- To assess physician-reported reasons for referral and perceived program utility.
- To determine the reliability and validity of physician feedback on pain management outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective survey using a 2-page mail questionnaire sent to referring physicians.
- Involved 179 patients admitted to an inter-disciplinary pain program.
- Assessed intra-observer reliability via a second mailing and analyzed correlations between key variables.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 70% physician response rate, covering 72% of patients.
- Confirmed significant test-retest reliability and correlations for referral reasons, discharge summary utility, coping, and behavioral changes.
- Physicians primarily referred patients to establish a comprehensive management plan.
Conclusions:
- Referring physician feedback provides valuable insights into pain program effectiveness.
- The study demonstrates the utility of physician surveys for treatment outcome evaluation.
- This is the first report detailing a physician-based evaluation of an inter-disciplinary pain program.