Abstract

LOPEZ-SORIANO, F. et al. The current status of chronic pain units in the Murcia region. Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2011, vol.18, n.1, pp.12-20. ISSN 1134-8046.

Objective: to know about the current situation in terms of organization and management of Chronic Pain Clinics (UDO) of public hospitals in the Region of Murcia. Material and methods: on-line questionnaires that explored aspects of structure and process, addressed to each of the heads of the UDO of every public hospitals of Murcia Health Service. Results: the 87.5% of the UDO answered the questions, representing a 90% of population coverage in the region, all of them directed by an anaesthesiologist, 85.7% of which were multi-disciplinary. Each UDO develops an average of 4.6 consults per week and 0.75 operating rooms. 42.8% of them dedicate less than 8 h per week to assistance. With an average delay of 66 days for the first demand and 49.2 days for the reviews, being the monthly demand for the first visits of 32.5 patients. Some UDO expresses rejection to certain painful processes. 42.8% of them make triage, but only 28.6% use explicit criteria for it. Furthermore, only 28.6% use explicit criteria to send patients to another hospital, and only 57.1% have clinical intervention protocols. Conclusions: UDO in the Region of Murcia has a wide disparity in accessibility, workload, continuity of care, demand management and structure, making it very difficult to compare the results between units, due to the lack of the necessary homogeneity in the structure and care processes.

Keywords : Pain clinic; Service organization; Management; Public sector.

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