Pain Management after Hurricane Katrina: Outcomes of Veterans Enrolled in a New Orleans VA Pain Management Program

Abstract

To evaluate Hurricane Katrina's impact on patients with pre-existing chronic pain. Design. Review of literature about Hurricane Katrina and chronic pain or pain management and a qualitative interview of all identified patients enrolled in a behavioral pain management program. Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System, Mental Health Service Line. In total, 42 of the 53 (79%) veterans enrolled in a chronic pain program prior to Hurricane Katrina were able to be contacted and evaluated with interviews and a review of their available medical records. Major impediments and facilitative factors in delivering pain management services were identified. Health care planning for large-scale emergencies must take into the need for prompt continuation of pain management services in patients with chronic pre-existing pain. Coordination between emergency clinics and pain management specialists, as well as the availability of electronic medical records, is an important factor in continuing established pain management services after a regional disaster.