‘Talk to us like we’re people, not an X-ray’: the experience of receiving care for chronic pain

Mandy Nielsen, Michele Foster, Paul Henman, Jenny Strong

Chronic pain is a commonly reported problem in primary care, and is Australia's third most costly health problem. Despite advances in the understanding and treatment of pain, many people with chronic pain do not receive the best available care. This paper examines the health care experiences of people with chronic pain and focuses discussion on the impact that institutional and cultural factors can have on individual experience. Unstructured narrative interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 20 people with chronic pain. Participants' experiences pointed to several factors that can affect the outcome of the health care they receive, including: the belief that all pain is due to identifiable injury or disease; a commitment to finding a diagnosis and cure; problematic patient-provider communication; and poor integration of health services. Comprehensively addressing these factors cannot be achieved by focusing interventions at the individual level. A multifaceted response, which includes public health and systemic initiatives, is required.