Secondary Prevention of Chronic Pain

EMPHN seeks GP input on how to improve patient recovery from acute pain

One in five Australians now suffer from chronic pain. Surgery, whiplash, low back pain and work injuries are well known causes of acute pain. Ensuring that at-risk patients receive best-practice pain recovery within the six to twelve-week period after an acute event can reduce the risk of transition to chronic pain.

Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) is mapping pain recovery services in our catchment and wants to work with local primary care practitioners to improve patient outcomes. EMPHN will use the mapping to understand service entry points, failure points, and service gaps for consumers at risk of progressing to chronic pain.

Further information: www.emphn.org.au/news-events/news/acute-pain-recovery-journey-consultation.

This survey is for General Practitioners across eastern Melbourne to contribute to the mapping exercise. Your feedback will inform future EMPHN work.

The survey takes approximately 10-12 minutes to complete and is open until 18 March 2021.

If you wish to contribute through a telephone conversation instead, please call or SMS Jo Grzelinska on 0418 595 781 to book a time at your convenience, including before or after work.

EMPHN lead

Susan Rice, Lead Sector Capacity & After Hours, 0419 475 855, susan.rice@emphn.org.au

Lead consultant

Jo Grzelinska, Principal Consultant, 0418 595 781, jo@larter.com.au

This initiative is funded by the Australian Government under the PHN program.

Question Title

* 1. Your role

Practice Nurse

Other (please specify)

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* 2. General Practice Location (suburb or postcode)

Question Title

* 3. Your practice name (optional)

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* 4. Your name (optional)

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* 5. Would you describe yourself as having a special interest in pain management or pain recovery?

Yes

Comment

While completing this survey, please keep in mind the following patient groups:

patients with (sub)acute pain and specific (sub)acute pain populations [e.g. post-surgery, post-injury, (sub)acute back pain]

Question Title

* 6. Current pain recovery care

In the 6 to 12-week period after an acute event, please indicate the regularity with which you implement these treatment approaches to managing and recovering from pain

	Very often	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Referral to physiotherapist	Referral to physiotherapist Very often	Referral to physiotherapist Often	Referral to physiotherapist Sometimes	Referral to physiotherapist Rarely	Referral to physiotherapist Never
Referral to specialist	Referral to specialist Very often	Referral to specialist Often	Referral to specialist Sometimes	Referral to specialist Rarely	Referral to specialist Never
Self-management physical therapy	Self-management physical therapy Very often	Self-management physical therapy Often	Self-management physical therapy Sometimes	Self-management physical therapy Rarely	Self-management physical therapy Never
Referral to group exercise program	Referral to group exercise program Very often	Referral to group exercise program Often	Referral to group exercise program Sometimes	Referral to group exercise program Rarely	Referral to group exercise program Never
Pharmacotherapies	Pharmacotherapies Very often	Pharmacotherapies Often	Pharmacotherapies Sometimes	Pharmacotherapies Rarely	Pharmacotherapies Never
Patient education and promotion of relevant consumer resources	Patient education and promotion of relevant consumer resources Very often	Patient education and promotion of relevant consumer resources Often	Patient education and promotion of relevant consumer resources Sometimes	Patient education and promotion of relevant consumer resources Rarely	Patient education and promotion of relevant consumer resources Never
Mind-based therapies	Mind-based therapies Very often	Mind-based therapies Often	Mind-based therapies Sometimes	Mind-based therapies Rarely	Mind-based therapies Never
Recommending a mobile app	Recommending a mobile app Very often	Recommending a mobile app Often	Recommending a mobile app Sometimes	Recommending a mobile app Rarely	Recommending a mobile app Never
Online consumer pain program	Online consumer pain program Very often	Online consumer pain program Often	Online consumer pain program Sometimes	Online consumer pain program Rarely	Online consumer pain program Never
Telemonitoring (supported by wearable devices and / or digital portal)	Telemonitoring (supported by wearable devices and / or digital portal) Very often	Telemonitoring (supported by wearable devices and / or digital portal) Often	Telemonitoring (supported by wearable devices and / or digital portal) Sometimes	Telemonitoring (supported by wearable devices and / or digital portal) Rarely	Telemonitoring (supported by wearable devices and / or digital portal) Never

Other or Comments

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* 7. Patients at risk of poorer pain recovery

In your opinion, what poses the greatest risk for patients in eastern Melbourne of progressing to chronic pain states?

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* 8. Amongst your patient groups, which patients are at greater risk of progressing to chronic pain after an acute pain event?

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* 9. How often do you currently screen patients for risk factors for poor pain recovery (including social and psychological)?

Frequently

Sometimes

Never

Comment

Question Title

* 10. Are you currently using any risk screening tools to identify patients at risk?

Yes

If Yes, please state tool

Question Title

* 11. Patients at risk can also be identified in other settings. Which other health professionals do you believe would most benefit from education in this area?

Tick any that apply

Nurses in general practice

Specialists

Pharmacists

Hospital surgery teams

Hospital physiotherapists following discharge

Physiotherapists

Exercise physiologists

Community health clinicians

Other or Comments

Question Title

* 12. Multidisciplinary care and care pathways

Please rate the availability of pain recovery services locally which offer a biopsychosocial model of pain recovery (focusing on: medical, social and psychological needs)

Readily available for my patients

Available for my patients but difficult to access

Unavailable for my patients

Not sure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 13. In the past 12 months, which types of pain recovery services have you most frequently referred your patients to?

Movement (e.g. Clinical exercise programs)

Physical therapies (e.g. Manual therapy)

Mind-based therapies (e.g. CBT, psychologically informed physiotherapy, stress management)

Multidisciplinary consumer pain programs

Self-management therapies (meditation / mindfulness, relaxation, self-help OT)

Group sessions (e.g. Group exercise / movement classes)

Shared care consultancy services

Return to work programs

Peer support group/network

Dry needling

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. What are the most common barriers faced by you or your patients when looking to access any of these services?

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* 15. What service types would you like to be able to refer to which are not currently accessible locally for your patients? Please comment why they are not accessible (e.g. do not exist; cost; transport).

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* 16. Do you use HealthPathways (melbourne.healthpathways.org.au) for pain support services?

Yes

Comment

Question Title

* 17. What are some of the challenges you face when navigating the local service system for pain recovery?

Question Title

* 18. Care coordination

Comment on any issues relating to coordination of care between health care providers (for example, between the acute setting and primary care or between primary care providers). What could be improved?

Question Title

* 19. Do you have access to shared care consultancy services for pain recovery?

Yes

Other (please specify)

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* 20. Do nurses in your practice currently have a role in helping consumers navigate pain services e.g. as part of health assessment or care plans?

Yes

If not, do you believe this role should be developed?

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* 21. Patient health literacy

What can the PHN do to help local residents understand pain recovery and chronic pain prevention?

Question Title

* 22. Professional development

Have you ever accessed any training on: (a) risk factors for progressing to chronic pain or (b) the biopsychosocial model of pain recovery?

Yes - provide details in comments box below

Please provide details and would you recommend it?

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* 23. Are you part of any formal professional networks in pain recovery?

Yes - provide details in comments box below

Comments

Question Title

* 24. Key recommendations

As a clinician / GP, what are your priority 2 to 3 recommendations to EMPHN to strengthen the support available to primary care providers to reduce patient transition to chronic pain states?

You may consider recommendations for improved recovery, prevention, or innovations in the primary care setting which may include ideas for quality improvement and health system support.

Question Title

* 25. Final comments

Please share any final comments that you think we should take into consideration. Is there anyone else in the primary care and / or pain recovery sector in eastern Melbourne that you recommend we should invite to this consultation?

Question Title

* 26. Would you like to be followed up with a telephone call to discuss any of these questions in more detail?

Yes - provide contact details in box below

Contact Details

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND INSIGHTS

Further information:

www.emphn.org.au/news-events/news/acute-pain-recovery-journey-consultation

Jo Grzelinska, Larter Consulting, jo@larter.com.au, 0418 595 781
Susan Rice, EMPHN, susan.rice@emphn.org.au, 0419 475 855

Secondary Prevention of Chronic Pain

EMPHN seeks GP input on how to improve patient recovery from acute pain

Question Title

* 1. Your role

Question Title

* 2. General Practice Location (suburb or postcode)

Question Title

* 3. Your practice name (optional)

Question Title

* 4. Your name (optional)

Question Title

* 5. Would you describe yourself as having a special interest in pain management or pain recovery?

Question Title

* 6. Current pain recovery careIn the 6 to 12-week period after an acute event, please indicate the regularity with which you implement these treatment approaches to managing and recovering from pain

Question Title

* 7. Patients at risk of poorer pain recoveryIn your opinion, what poses the greatest risk for patients in eastern Melbourne of progressing to chronic pain states?

Question Title

* 8. Amongst your patient groups, which patients are at greater risk of progressing to chronic pain after an acute pain event?

Question Title

* 9. How often do you currently screen patients for risk factors for poor pain recovery (including social and psychological)?

Question Title

* 10. Are you currently using any risk screening tools to identify patients at risk?

Question Title

* 11. Patients at risk can also be identified in other settings. Which other health professionals do you believe would most benefit from education in this area? Tick any that apply

Question Title

* 12. Multidisciplinary care and care pathwaysPlease rate the availability of pain recovery services locally which offer a biopsychosocial model of pain recovery (focusing on: medical, social and psychological needs)

Question Title

* 13. In the past 12 months, which types of pain recovery services have you most frequently referred your patients to?

Question Title

* 14. What are the most common barriers faced by you or your patients when looking to access any of these services?

Question Title

* 15. What service types would you like to be able to refer to which are not currently accessible locally for your patients? Please comment why they are not accessible (e.g. do not exist; cost; transport).

Question Title

* 16. Do you use HealthPathways (melbourne.healthpathways.org.au) for pain support services?﻿

Question Title

* 17. What are some of the challenges you face when navigating the local service system for pain recovery?

Question Title

* 18. Care coordinationComment on any issues relating to coordination of care between health care providers (for example, between the acute setting and primary care or between primary care providers). What could be improved?

Question Title

* 19. Do you have access to shared care consultancy services for pain recovery?

Question Title

* 20. Do nurses in your practice currently have a role in helping consumers navigate pain services e.g. as part of health assessment or care plans?

Question Title

* 21. Patient health literacyWhat can the PHN do to help local residents understand pain recovery and chronic pain prevention?

Question Title

* 22. Professional developmentHave you ever accessed any training on: (a) risk factors for progressing to chronic pain or (b) the biopsychosocial model of pain recovery?

Question Title

* 23. Are you part of any formal professional networks in pain recovery?

Question Title

Question Title

* 25. Final commentsPlease share any final comments that you think we should take into consideration. Is there anyone else in the primary care and / or pain recovery sector in eastern Melbourne that you recommend we should invite to this consultation?

Question Title

* 26. Would you like to be followed up with a telephone call to discuss any of these questions in more detail?

* 6. Current pain recovery care

In the 6 to 12-week period after an acute event, please indicate the regularity with which you implement these treatment approaches to managing and recovering from pain

* 7. Patients at risk of poorer pain recovery

In your opinion, what poses the greatest risk for patients in eastern Melbourne of progressing to chronic pain states?

* 11. Patients at risk can also be identified in other settings. Which other health professionals do you believe would most benefit from education in this area?

Tick any that apply

* 12. Multidisciplinary care and care pathways

Please rate the availability of pain recovery services locally which offer a biopsychosocial model of pain recovery (focusing on: medical, social and psychological needs)

* 16. Do you use HealthPathways (melbourne.healthpathways.org.au) for pain support services?

* 18. Care coordination

Comment on any issues relating to coordination of care between health care providers (for example, between the acute setting and primary care or between primary care providers). What could be improved?

* 21. Patient health literacy

What can the PHN do to help local residents understand pain recovery and chronic pain prevention?

* 22. Professional development

Have you ever accessed any training on: (a) risk factors for progressing to chronic pain or (b) the biopsychosocial model of pain recovery?

* 25. Final comments

Please share any final comments that you think we should take into consideration. Is there anyone else in the primary care and / or pain recovery sector in eastern Melbourne that you recommend we should invite to this consultation?