| abstract |
Chronic Pain effects 20% of the adult US population. Those afflicted with chronic pain are not treated the same. The World Health Organization designated the alleviation of pain a human right in 1995. Adults suffering from chronic non cancer pain receive unequal treatment due to a variety of factors. These factors are determined by a variety of sources intrinsic to the individual. These sources include demographics, cultural and societal norms that each participant personally brings to bear. Factors explored in this project include the normal demographics and the lives of the participants and how they relate to the pain treatment regimens that help get them through the day. In this study we saw that all participants did have adequate insurance which did not impede their ability for treatment or ability to try multimodal techniques for pain relief. Spirituality played a role for many in helping to alleviate some aspects of pain and to help the participants make it through the day. There were not any members of this surveyed population who were below the Federal Poverty Level, and all participants had the ability to travel for treatments, although there were times when this was difficult, not due to resources but due to the constraints of pain. A statistically relevant finding was that married men do have a better quality of life and less pain than married women or single men or women. The COVID pandemic, which was ongoing when this survey took place, did make treatment less available but participants were able to manage to access what was necessary to abate the more severe symptoms of pain.
The most disturbing outcome of the COVID-19 crisis for my participants was the continued disruption of medication for patients due to the opioid crisis and supply chain issues. Many participants had their doses reduced and consequently less pain control since 2016 when the new CDC guideline was published. Even with an update in 2020 which relaxed and clarified the 2016 restrictions, physicians remained afraid to prescribe sufficient doses of therapeutic agents to adequately control symptoms of pain. A quality-of-life survey is a starting point to aid participants to think about their own situations with follow-up interviews to solidify the participant's narrative. An ongoing narrative between a Health Care Provider (HCP) and the participant could continue to expand and deepen the trust, understanding, and as well as empathy and respect.
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