Chronic pain prevalence rates vary between 11% and 40%.¹

The gap in patient–physician communication

Choosing the appropriate treatment and assessing achievement of a treatment goal are dependent on clear communication between patient and physician. However, data indicate that patients and physicians may have a different understanding of the degree of pain and pain relief. Results from an online market research survey with patients and physicians from the United States (N=606 patients and N=492); an average 95% of physicians agreed that patient expectations of pain management were not always consistent with those of their physicians.⁴ More widespread use of standardised assessment tools, such as scales and questionnaires, may facilitate this exchange and lead to more individualised care.
There is a growing emphasis on incorporating communication training into medical education, considering ethical responsibilities to involve patients in their care, and enhancing informed consent procedures to assure optimal patient involvement in treatment decision making.⁵ Pain is a subjective, internal experience, and reliable assessment of pain relies heavily on the patents self report, reinforcing the role of collaborative exchanges between persons with chronic pain and providers.⁵

Health Literacy

Health literacy is ‘The individual’s capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions’.⁶ Limited Health literacy can result in poorer health outcomes, worse symptom control, an increase in healthcare utilisation, lower adherence to treatment and inadequate communication between the patient and clinician. Click here to read more on the European Pain Federations Plain Talking campaign: HL-Booklet-New-Illustrations.pdf (europeanpainfederation.eu)

The importance of urgency in diagnosis and treatment

Patients with chronic pain may experience considerable delays in receiving a diagnosis, which can lead to worsening outcomes. Reaching a timely, accurate diagnosis for chronic pain is important to support management. Data from a cross-sectional study found a median diagnostic delay of eight years for spondylarthritis, with delay in diagnosis also being associated with poorer treatment responses. Chronic pain has a significant burden on older populations and is associated with lower socioeconomic status, lost productivity, and disability along with functional, emotional and social impacts.

By improving pain treatment algorithms, listening to the patient voice and sharing knowledge, it is hoped that disability and patient suffering can be reduced, quality of life improved and that the communication gap between patients and healthcare professionals can be closed.