Summary
As many as one-fifth of adult Americans, approximately 70 million people, report persistent pain annually. As a public health problem, pain ranks among the most serious, with its prevalence compounded by enormous cost, both in terms of direct health care utilization and in terms of lost productivity and disability. Each clinician must gain the competencies to address the challenges of pain assessment and management. One key competency is assessment based on detailed evaluation of the patient’s self-report, combined with other information. Based on this assessment, a diagnosis of the pain in terms of etiology, pathophysiology and syndrome may be possible, and supplemented by an understanding of the impact of the pain in multiple domains and relevant premorbid and comorbid biomedical and psychosocial factors. This understanding is the foundation for the development of an effective plan of care.
