Chronic pain is a complex problem that, without adequate treatment, can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life.
To investigate where existing guidelines, including the Chronic Pain Care Agreement and other recommendations, fall short for the homeless population, Felix Peuker conducted research at Kruispost. He examined what causes of chronic pain were most common in this patient population. In doing so, he interviewed 66 patients, 33.3% of whom were homeless. Of the homeless patients, 54% had chronic pain (12 patients). Among the patients with chronic pain, the majority were found to experience pain in the legs, while the majority had no official diagnosis. The main barriers experienced by the patients surveyed were stress and financial constraints, which are important entry points for treatment.
Drawing on the experiences of these patients and the existing literature, Felix formulated a number of recommendations for Kruispost. Some of these recommendations include: try to explain pain not only from a biological perspective, but also from a psychiatric, emotional and social perspective; treat acute pain convincingly to reduce the likelihood of chronicity; and be proactive in involving the second line if necessary.
