Understanding pain among older persons: Part 2-the association between pain profiles and healthcare utilisation.
While polypharmacy and multimorbidity predict healthcare utilisation among older people, the influence of differing pain profiles on healthcare utilisation is unclear.



To compare healthcare utilisation between people with different pain profiles.



Baseline data from The Irish LongituDinal study on Ageing (TILDA), a population-representative cohort study involving over 8,171 community living people resident in Ireland aged 50 or over, was used. Following the creation of four novel pain profiles, variables relating to healthcare utilisation were compared across the different profiles using chi-square tests and logistic regression.



Healthcare utilisation differed across the four pain profiles, with pain being an independent predictor of resource use. Pain profiles 3 and 4 had higher use of general practitioner (GP) care and outpatient visits than people with no pain and pain that had less impact. The odds of being a frequent GP attender increased across pain profiles, with those in profile 4 being almost three times as likely to be frequent attenders compared to those with no pain (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.79; 95% CI 2.74, 2.83). People in profile 4 were almost twice as likely to have a hospital outpatient visit compared to people with no pain (adjusted OR = 1.75; 95% 1.73, 1.78).



Healthcare utilisation differed between the four pain profiles, with people in profiles 3 and 4 having greater usage of primary and secondary healthcare resources. Pain profile membership was a significant independent predictor of the utilisation of GP care and hospital outpatient visits.
Department of Clinical Therapies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Norelee
N
Kennedy
Department of Clinical Therapies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Kieran
K
O'Sullivan
Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Ailish
A
Hannigan
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Helen
H
Purtill
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D063127:Secondary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D000700:Analgesics