The cost of chronic pain: an analysis of a regional pain management service in Ireland
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to collect data on the direct and indirect economic cost of chronic pain among patients attending a pain management clinic in Ireland. SETTING: A tertiary pain management clinic serving a mixed urban and rural area in the West of Ireland. DESIGN: Data were collected from 100 patients using the Client Services Receipt Inventory and focused on direct and indirect costs of chronic pain. METHODS: Patients were questioned about health service utilization, payment methods, and relevant sociodemographics. Unit costs were multiplied by resource use data to obtain full costs. Cost drivers were then estimated. RESULTS: Our study showed a cost per patient of US$24,043 over a 12-month period. Over half of this was attributable to wage replacement costs and lost productivity in those unable to work because of pain. Hospital stays and outpatient hospital services were the main drivers for health care utilization costs, together accounting for 63% of the direct medical costs per study participant attending the pain clinic. CONCLUSION: The cost of chronic pain among intensive service users is significant, and when extrapolated to a population level, these costs represent a very substantial economic burden.
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Chronic pain is a costly social phenomenon.
“Considering its associated direct and indirect expenditures, chronic pain is also a costly social phenomenon.1 2 4”
The significant cost of chronic pain internationally and in Ireland provides a clear rationale for the current study to focus on the economic evaluation of an internet-delivered ACT intervention.
“The significant cost of chronic pain internationally1 and in Ireland4 5 provides a clear rationale for the current study to focus on the economic evaluation of an internet-delivered ACT intervention.”
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“A thorough understanding of the economic cost of chronic pain is crucial to inform decision-making regarding health service resource allocation, especially for high-intensity service users.(4) This aspect of the study will be conducted with a view to giving more affordable alternative options to the current chronic pa…”
Self-citation
- Authors
- Gannon, B., Finn, D. P., O'Gorman, D., Ruane, N., & McGuire, B. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Gannon, Brenda
- Venue
- Pain Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2013-10
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1518-1528
- ISSN
- 1526-2375 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-4637
- OpenAlex
- W1590775886
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 1.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Pain Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ARAN (University of Galway Research Repository) (Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- ARAN (University of Galway Research Repository) (Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Research Repository UCD (University College Dublin) (cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Health Research Board
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Keywords
- chronic pain, economic burden of pain, direct and indirect costs, pain clinic, health care utilization, productivity loss, length of hospital stay, outpatient care, cost drivers
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Ireland, Male, Middle Aged, Health Care Costs, Young Adult, Chronic Pain, Pain Management
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