Improving access to chronic pain care with central referral and triage: The 6-year findings from a single-entry model

Autor: Tania Di Renna, Emeralda Burke, Anuj Bhatia, Hance Clarke, David Flamer, John Flannery, Andrea Furlan, Dinesh Kumbhare, James Khan, Karim Ladha, Howard Meng, Andrew Smith, David Sussman, Rachael Bosma
Jazyk: English<br />French
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Canadian Journal of Pain, Vol 8, Iss 1 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 24740527
2474-0527
DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2023.2297561
Popis: ABSTRACTBackground Despite the established efficacy of multidisciplinary chronic pain care, barriers such as inflated referral wait times and uncoordinated care further hinder patient health care access.Aims Here we describe the evolution of a single-entry model (SEM) for coordinating access to chronic pain care across seven hospitals in Toronto and explore the impact on patient care 6 years after implementation.Methods In 2017, an innovative SEM was implemented for chronic pain referrals in Toronto and surrounding areas. Referrals are received centrally, triaged by a clinical team, and assigned an appointment according to the level of urgency and the most appropriate care setting/provider. To evaluate the impact of the SEM, a retrospective analysis was undertaken to determine referral patterns, patient characteristics, and referral wait times over the past 6 years.Results Implementation of an SEM streamlined the number of steps in the referral process and led to a standardized referral form with common inclusion and exclusion criteria across sites. Over the 6-year period, referrals increased by 93% and the number of unique providers increased by 91%. Chronic pain service wait times were reduced from 299 (±158) days to 176 (±103) days. However, certain pain diagnoses such as chronic pelvic pain and fibromyalgia far exceed the average.Conclusions The results indicate that the SEM helped reduce wait times for pain conditions and standardized the referral pathway. Continued data capture efforts can help identify gaps in care to enable further health care refinement and improvement.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Externí odkaz: