title: Consumption of and satisfaction with health care among opioid users with chronic non-malignant pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although persons with chronic pain are frequent users of the health care system, they report poor satisfaction with health care services. Participants with persistent opioid use in Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)3 report severe pain in spite of treatment. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that subjects with persistent opioid use have both a higher consumption of health care services and a poorer satisfaction than the remaining subjects reporting chronic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was based on linkage of self-reported data from the substudy (10,238 were invited, 6927 met the inclusion criteria) of health care use in HUNT3; a population-based health survey during the years 2006-2008 and the complete national registers of the Norwegian Prescription Database and the Cancer Registry of Norway. Patients with chronic pain are stratified according to the level of opioid use as persistent users of opioids, intermittent users, and persons not using opioids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Persons with chronic non-malignant pain reported a higher consumption of all health care services compared to the control group. Consumption of health care services increased with increasing level of opioid use. Persons with persistent opioid use were highly satisfied with all health care services, although less satisfied than persons without chronic pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined with previous findings of high levels of pain in spite of opioid treatment, the present findings indicate that symptomatic relief is not a prerequisite for patient satisfaction. The study shows higher patient satisfaction compared to previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Division of Epidemiology, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.|Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skurtveit
authors.affiliation: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|National Competence Centre for Complex Symptom Disorders, Department of Pain and Complex Disorders, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Borchgrevink
authors.affiliation: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Romundstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Division of Epidemiology, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahic
authors.affiliation: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|National Competence Centre for Complex Symptom Disorders, Department of Pain and Complex Disorders, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.|Centre of Palliative Care, Surgical Division, Akershus University Hospital, Nordbyhagen, Norway.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Fredheim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D057566:Self Report
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid