Chronic pain management in primary care: Using population-based data to examine family physician practice patterns.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine trends in chronic pain (CP) practice patterns among community-based family physicians (FPs).

Design

Population-based descriptive study using health administrative data.

Setting

British Columbia from fiscal years 2008-2009 to 2017-2018.

Participants

Patients with an algorithm-defined CP condition and community-based FPs, both registered with the British Columbia Medical Services Plan.

Main outcome measures

Using British Columbia health administrative data and a CP algorithm adapted from a previous study, the following were compared between fiscal years 2008-2009 and 2017-2018: CP patient volumes, pain-related medication prescriptions, referrals to pain specialists, musculoskeletal imaging requests, and interventional procedures.

Re

SUBMITTER: May C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11407587 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature