[Pain clinics within Austrian hospitals, for patients with pathologies of the locomotor system. Analysis of care and comparison with Germany].
This paper gives a comparative overview of the current clinical care of patients experiencing pain in the musculoskeletal system in Austria and in Germany. The questionnaire used in this study was modified from one used in a survey carried out in Germany in 2002. In our version we asked specifically about pain in the musculoskeletal system. In all 228 health care facilities were reviewed, 56.6% of which offer at least one option for pain therapy. In Austria, the majority of patients with pain in the musculoskeletal system are treated by specialists in the departments of anaesthesiology, internal medicine, and orthopaedics. In 17.4% of the clinics in Austria there are plans to extend the pain therapy they offer, but in over half of the hospitals that responded facilities for pain therapy are considered to be vulnerable. The study highlights a significant higher percentage of in-patient pain therapy services in Austria, while in Germany, in contrast, there are more outpatient options for pain therapy. The quality of pain therapy could by further improved by more intense cooperation between the inpatient and outpatient sectors and by the establishment of interdisciplinary and multimodal solutions.
Latta
H J
HJ
Center of Excellence for Orthopaedic Painmanagement Speising, CEOPS, Wien, Speisingerstr. 109, A-1130, Wien, Osterreich. hans.latta@oss.at
Wepner
F
F
Hahne
J
J
Friedrich
M
M
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001317:Austria; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004470:Economics, Medical; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010146:Pain / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D018710:Pain Clinics / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D059408:Pain Management; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires