http://goo.gl/2KQFJx
Previous large population studies examining pain in older people have been limited to data related to frequency of pain, and/or the reported pain intensity. The study is unique in that it recognises that the impact of pain may vary considerably, and is a subjective experience. It also takes into consideration the degree to which pain affects a person's ability to participate in home or occupational activities, how widespread the pain is, as well as the use of analgesic medications. The study highlights the benefit of considering a greater range of variables in pain profiling to improve management, and reduce excessive medical investigations and treatment.
The study also finds that pain profiling can be used to predict health care utilisation by older people. Identifying people with multi-site pain, or those with single-site pain which affects daily activities and requires medication, could prove a significant independent predictor of the utilisation of GP care and hospital outpatient visits. Access to such data could prove to be of enormous benefit from a health planning perspective.