A Survey of Patients Visiting Pain Clinic

Seo, Chang Min; Mun, Cheol Won; Baek, Un Yi; Hong, Jung Gil

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Currently, the number of patients visiting pain clinics is increasing with the augmented concerns of the patients about management of pain. We conducted this study in order to comprehend the characteristics of the patients visiting pain clinics and to find a method to further raises the public's awareness about pain treatment.
METHODS
We surveyed 497 new patients who had visited pain clinic of Kyungpook national university hospital from August 1998 to July 1999. We analysed these patients about their age, sex, chief complaint, duration of pain complaints, resident district, educational level and route of visiting pain clinic by use of questionnaire.
RESULTS
In age distribution, the largest proportion (29.8%) were in their 60's. Low back pain was the most common chief complaint (33.0%), the highest (43.7%) percentage of patients had complained of pain for over 6 months. Two thirds of the patients lived in urban area. Patients who were educated to only elementary school level made up the largest group with 35.3%. Referrals from former patients who had visited our pain clinic and had received treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
As increasing patients who have pain complaints are related to social advanced age, it is prudent to consider the characteristics of age related pain complaints. And we have to guide the pain patients to have more earlier treatments using mass media because there is still insufficient general information about pain clinic and pain managements.