title: Primary care providers' views on chronic pain management among high-risk patients in safety net settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined chronic pain management practices and confidence and satisfaction levels in treating chronic pain among primary care providers (PCPs) who cared for high-risk patients in safety net health settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited PCPs (N = 61) through their HIV-infected patients who were enrolled in a longitudinal study on pain, use, and misuse of opioid analgesics (Pain Study). We asked PCPs to complete a questionnaire about all of their patients in their practice on the prevalence of chronic pain and illicit substance use, use of opioid analgesics, confidence and satisfaction levels in treating chronic pain, and likelihood of prescribing opioid analgesics in response to clinical vignettes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All PCPs cared for at least some patients with chronic pain, and the majority prescribed opioid analgesics for its treatment. All PCPs cared for at least some patients who used illicit substances. PCPs reported low confidence and satisfaction levels in treating chronic pain. The majority (73.8%) of PCPs were highly likely to prescribe opioid analgesics to a patient without a history of substance use who had chronic pain. The majority (88.5%) were somewhat to highly likely to prescribe opioid analgesics to a patient with a prior history of substance use but not active use. Most (67.2%) were somewhat to highly likely to prescribe opioids to a patient with active substance use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to improve PCPs' confidence and satisfaction in managing chronic pain, further work should explore the root causes of low confidence and satisfaction and also explore possible remedies.
authors: Division of General Internal Medicine/San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA 94143-1364, USA.
authors: Maya
authors: M
authors: Vijayaraghavan
authors: Joanne
authors: J
authors: Penko
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Guzman
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Miaskowski
authors: Margot B
authors: MB
authors: Kushel
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid