Care management for persistent pain: an introduction.

Persistent pain is a frequently occurring condition with significant economic, clinical, and humanistic implications, for both individuals and society. Current literature, however, points to unresolved issues with regard to its identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, and a number of suggestions have been made for improving the quality of care for pain sufferers. Because persistent pain shares many of the salient features of other chronic conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure, it is reasonable to believe that the adoption of a coordinated approach to care management could substantially improve the quality of care. Several strategies--including identification, appropriate referral, education, and planning--can and should be implemented to offer comprehensive, individualized treatment alternatives that are not currently available and that improve patient outcomes, including quality of life.