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Cited by 95Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationPain Management and Opioid UsePediatric Pain Management Techniques

'Treated as a number, not treated as a person': a qualitative exploration of the perceived barriers to effective pain management of patients with chronic pain

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Hadi, Muhammad Abdul, Alldred, David Phillip, Briggs, Michelle, Marczewski, Kathryn, Closs, S José·2017·BMJ Open
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016454PMC PMC5541634
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Abstract

Objectives: To identify barriers to effective pain management encountered by patients with chronic pain within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Design: Secondary analysis of face-to-face, semistructured qualitative interviews using thematic analysis. Setting: A community-based chronic pain clinic jointly managed by a nurse and pharmacist located in the North of England. Participants: Nineteen adult (>18 years) patients with chronic pain discharged from a pain clinic, with the ability to understand and speak the English language. Results: In general, patients were highly disappointed with the quality of pain management services provided both within primary and secondary care, and consequently were willing to seek private medical care. Barriers to effective pain management were divided into two main themes: healthcare professional-related and health systems-related. Three subthemes emerged under healthcare professionals-related barriers, namely (1) healthcare professionals’ lack of interest and empathy, (2) general practitioners’ (GP) lack of specialised knowledge in pain management and (3) lack of communication between healthcare professionals. Three subthemes emerged under health system-related barriers: (1) long waiting time for appointments in secondary care, (2) short consultation times with GPs and (3) lack of an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Conclusions: The patients expressed a clear desire for the improved provision and quality of chronic pain management services within the NHS to overcome barriers identified in this study. An integrated holistic approach based on a biopsychosocial model is required to effectively manage pain and improve patient satisfaction. Future research should explore the feasibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrated care delivery models for chronic pain management within primary care.

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  • Language used by clinicians may lead to an apathy or lack of understanding of the patient's experience of BPD, as has been shown in other chronic conditions like chronic pain.

    “Language used by clinicians may lead to an apathy or lack of understanding of the patient's experience of BPD as has been shown in other chronic conditions like chronic pain. 20”

    From Physiotherapy assessment of breathing pattern disorder: a qualitative evaluation (2023) · cites this paper as [20]

    The Results (Healthcare professionals-related barriers; page unavailable) report that patients with chronic pain perceived clinicians as lacking interest and empathy, and give examples of dismissive language. The paper does not establish that clinicians’ language causes apathy or lack of understanding; it reports patients’ perceptions of those interactions. BPD is the citing paper’s context, not a condition studied in this source. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 23

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Hadi, M. A., Alldred, D. P., Briggs, M., Marczewski, K., & Closs, S. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Leeds (GB)
  • University of Manchester (GB)
  • Musculoskeletal Services, St George’s Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Corresponding author
Hadi, Muhammad Abdul
ORCID
Venue
BMJ Open
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2017-06
Volume
7
Issue
6
Pages
e016454
ISSN
2044-6055 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016454
PMC
PMC5541634
OpenAlex
W2625864955
Cited by
95
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1
FWCI
3.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • BMJ Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • DMU Open Research Archive (De Montfort University) (submittedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
Keywords
chronic pain, pain management, barriers to care, patient satisfaction, general practitioners, multidisciplinary care, biopsychosocial model, integrated care, primary care, secondary care, waiting time, provider communication, patient experience, National Health Service
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, England, Female, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Middle Aged, Pain Measurement, Referral and Consultation, State Medicine, Patient Satisfaction, Pain Clinics, Qualitative Research, General Practitioners, Chronic Pain, Pain Management

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