In April 2012, the American Pain Foundation released results of its October 2011 pain survey. The survey, taken by 2,539 respondents, revealed the unique perspective of patients living with chronic pain.
When compared to results of a September 2011 Harris Survey of the general public, the APF survey showed that 87% of respondents were on prescription medications vs. 62% of the general public. 50% of the patients surveyed said that coping techniques and lifestyle changes were recommended by healthcare providers vs. only 8% of the general public.
The top three questions addressed to pain providers by those surveyed were about side effects, followed by dosing and timing, and then concerns about harmful drug interactions. For the general public, harmful interactions were their second most pressing issue.
Examples of questions or concerns that patients failed to raise with their healthcare providers included: How effective will these treatments be for short-term or long-term relief? Will I be able to continue playing sports? What do I do if/when the pain meds don't work? What limitations are likely to increase or decrease? It's not surprising that 86% of the pain patients sought answers from the Internet.
To read the report of the survey or for more information, go to: www.painfoundation.org.
The American Pain Foundation is a nonprofit organization that educates, supports and advocates for people affected by pain. Its PainAid online community supports people in pain and their caregivers by providing chats, discussion boards and ask-the-experts sessions
