Frequency and characteristics of healthcare visits associated with chronic pain: results from a population-based Canadian study

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the role of chronic pain in healthcare visits. The specific objectives were to document the frequency of healthcare visits and to identify characteristics associated with frequent visits. This is a secondary analysis of data from a Canadian cross-sectional study on chronic pain. One thousand two hundred and ninety-four participants were screened for chronic pain, and 741 reported having "pain or discomfort that had been experienced either all the time or intermittently for at least three months". Data regarding sociodemographics, general health, and healthcare visits were also collected. The frequency of healthcare visits was defined as at or above the 90th percentile for the group. Frequency was calculated for each setting, i.e.,physicians' offices (≥ 9), emergency departments (≥ 1), and other (≥ 15). Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with frequent visits. Chronic pain increased the frequency of visits tophysicians (odds ratio [OR], 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8 to 7.9), emergency departments (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.0), and "other" healthcare professionals (OR, 8.3; 95% CI, 4.5 to 15.5). Having ≥3 chronic conditions significantly increased the odds of frequent healthcare visits. Interventions aimed at reducing healthcare costs for chronic pain should target individuals living with multiple chronic conditions. Research is needed to develop and test interventions that focus on the needs of these groups. Identifying the risk factors for high healthcare use and improving self-managementmay reduce healthcare visits.