[Despondent voices on Swedish pain care: "Situation feels depressing, I have considered to quit my work as pain specialist"]. / Uppgivna röster om svensk smärtvård: "situationen känns dyster, jag har övervägt att sluta som smärtläkare".

ABSTRACT

The number of patients handicapped by chronic pain is increasing in Sweden. Many of these patients do not receive adequate care despite guidelines issued in 1994 by the National Board of Health and Welfare recommending councils to establish multidisciplinary pain teams according to the guidelines issued by the International Association for the Study of Pain. A survey of Swedish general hospitals reveals that these recommendations have not yet been implemented. With the exception of university hospitals only one out of five hospitals has set up specialised pain care teams; in remaining hospitals the organisation of pain management leaves much to be desired.