Awareness and Approaches of Family Physicians about Chronic Pain

Year 2021, Volume: 5 Issue: 3, 7 - 15, 20.09.2021

Tuba Erdem Sultanoğlu Zerrin Gamsızkan Sarfinaz Ataoğlu Hasan Sultanoğlu

https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.869451

Abstract

Abstract
Purpose: We aimed to investigate family physicians’ awareness and approaches to chronic pain in its management.
Methods: This study was planned as a descriptive-crosssectional study to investigate family physicians’ awareness and approaches to chronic pain between September and November 2020.A questionnaire were used as data collection tools.The physicians sociodemographic characteristics, the number of registered patients, the percentage of patients with chronic pain, the status of participation in training activities on pain management, the most common cause of chronic pain, initial approach to chronic pain management were recorded. They were also questioned about the medical treatment option that they preferred for the treatment of patients with chronic pain, the most commonly demanded medication group by their patients and their practice of prescribing those medications, their views on traditional and complementary medicine, and the most effective treatment option for chronic pain.
Results:81 family physicians participated in the study.The mean age was 34.2±7.3.58% of the participants are women;42% of them were male.Half of the family physicians participating reported that low back pain was the most common cause of chronic pain. In our country, the responses given to the question about the most common causes of chronic pain were psychiatric problems and low back pain. Initial approach to a patient presenting with chronic pain, the most the physicians responsed ‘I treat the patient’.66.7% of the physicians agreed with multidisciplinary approach.
Conclusions: Developing algorithms for chronic pain management, structuring specialist training and planning continuous training after graduation will contribute significantly to increasing awareness of chronic pain.

Keywords

Family Physicians, Chronic Pain, Awareness

Project Number

yok

References

• 1. Merskey H BN. International Association for the Study of Pain. Classification of chronic pain: Descriptions of chronic pain syndromes and definitions of pain terms. 2nd ed. Seattle: IASP Press; 2002.
• 2. Turk DC, Okifuji A. Psychological factors in chronic pain: Evolution and revolution. J Consult Clin Phychol. 2002;70(3):678-90.
• 3. Keefe FJ, Rumble ME, Scipio CD, Giordano LA, Perri LM. Psychological aspects of persistent pain: current state of the science. J Pain. 2004;5(4):195-211.
• 4. Weiner RS.Pain Management: A Practical Guide for Clinicians. 6nd ed. CRC Press USA; 2002.
• 5. Marcus DA. Chronic Pain: A Primary Care Guide to Practical Management. 2nd ed. Humana Pres, Totowa, NJ; 2005.
• 6. Turk DC. The role of psychological factors in chronic pain. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. 1999;43(9):885-88.
• 7. Sandner-Kiesling A, Schöpfer A. A chronic pain patient: modern diagnosis and consept of therapy. Psychiatr Danub. 2010;22(3):459-64.
• 8. PA Poulin, J Nelli, S Tremblay, R Small, Caluyong MB, Freeman J, et al. Chronic Pain in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Study Examining Patient Characteristics and Reasons for Presentations. Pain Research and Management. 2016;2(1):1-10.
• 9. Romanelli RJ, Shah SN, Ikeda L, Lynch B, Craig TL, Cappelleri JC, et al. Patient characteristics and health care utilization of a chronic pain population with in an integrated health care system. AmJ Manage Care. 2017;23(2):50-6.
• 10. Yanni LM, McKinney-Ketchum JL, Harrington SB, Huynh C, Amin S, Matsuyama R, et al. Preparation, confidence, and attitudes about chronic noncancer pain in graduate medical education. J Grad Med Educ. 2010;2(2):260-68.
• 11. Jackson T, Thomas S, Stabile V, Han X, Shotwell M, McQueen K. Prevalence of chronic pain in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2015;27(385):2-10.
• 12. Ferreira Kdos S, Speciali. Epidemiology of chronic pain in the Office of a pain specialist neurologist. Arg Neuropsiquiatr. 2015;73(7):582-85.
• 13. Arici T, Uzuner B. Algoloji kliniğine başvuran hastaların tanı ve tedavilerinin değerlendirilmesi. Ortadoğu Tıp Dergisi. 2020;12(2):159-64.
• 14. Akdeniz S, Kelsaka E, Güldoğuş, F. Retrospective evaluation of the patients with chronic pain admitted to the algology polyclinic between 2000-2010. Ağrı: The Journal of The Turkish Society of Algology. 2013;25(3):115-23.
• 15. Sultanoğlu Erdem T. Sağlık Bilimlerinde Multidisipliner Araştırmalar-2, editor: Ayten Dinç. 1th ed. İstanbul: Efe Akademi Yayınları; 2020. p.343-58.
• 16. Gordon R, Bloxham S. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain. Healthcare. 2016;4(2):1-22.
• 17. Wewege MA, Booth J, Parmenter BJ. Aerobic vs. resistance exercise for chronic non-specific low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. 2018;31(5):889-99.
• 18. Miyamoto GC, Lin CC, Cabral CMN, van Dongen JM, van Tulder MW. Cost-effectiveness of exercise therapy in the treatment of non-specific neck pain and low back pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine. 2019;53(3):172-81.
• 19. Schneiderhan J, Clauw D, Schwenk TL. Primary Care of Patients With Chronic Pain JAMA. 2017;317(23):2367-68.
• 20. Reinecke H, Weber C, Lange K, Simon M, Stein C, Sorgatz H. Analgesic efficacy of opioids in chronic pain: recent meta-analyses. BrJ Pharmacol. 2015;172(2):324-33.
• 21. Munzing T. Physician guide to appropriate opioid prescribing for noncancer pain. Perm J. 2017;21:16-169.
• 22. Rosenblum A, Marsch LA, Joseph H, Portenoy RK. Opioids and the treatment of chronic pain: Controversies, current status, and future directions. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008;16(5):405-16.
• 23. Aveni E, Bauer B, Ramelet AS, Decosterd I, Ballabeni P, Bonvin E, et al. Healthcare professionals' sources of knowledge of complementary medicine in an academic center. Healthcare professionals' attitude toward complementary medicine. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(9): e0184979.
• 24. World Health Organization. WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023.2013. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015.