title: More attention to pain management in community-dwelling older persons with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  persistent pain is a major problem in older people, but little is known about older persons' opinion about the treatment of persistent pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  the objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with older participants having chronic musculoskeletal pain and hoping persistently that physician would pay more attention to the pain management.
  
  
  METHODS
  this 3-year follow-up study was a part of large population-based Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly (GeMS) study. The population sample (n = 1000) of the GeMS study was randomly selected from older inhabitants (≥75 years) of Kuopio city, Finland, and participants were interviewed annually in the municipal health centre or in the participant's current residence by three study nurses. The current substudy included participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain (n = 270). Participants were asked specifically whether they hoped that more attention would be paid to pain management by the physician.
  
  
  RESULTS
  at baseline, 41% of the community-dwelling older participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain hoped the physician would pay more attention to pain management. Of those participants, 49% were still continuing to hope after 1 year and 31% after 2 years. A persistent hope to receive more attention to pain management was associated with poor self-rated health (OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.04-8.30), moderate-to-severe pain (OR: 3.46; 95% CI: 1.42-8.44), and the daily use of analgesics (OR: 4.16; 95% CI: 1.08-16.09).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  physicians need to take a more active role in the process of recognising, assessing and controlling persistent pain in older people.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, Kuopio 70211, Finland.
authors.forename: Niina Maria
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Karttunen
authors.affiliation: Farenta Oy, Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turunen
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahonen
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010819:Physician's Role; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics
keywords: chronic pain; community-dwelling; older; older people; pain management