Qualitative analysis of US Department of veterans affairs mental health clinician perspectives on patient-centered care.

Objective: Enhanced patient involvement in care has the potential to improve patient experiences and health outcomes. As such, large national and global healthcare systems and organizations, including the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have made patient-centered care a primary goal. Little is known about mental health clinician perspectives on, and experiences with, providing patient-centered care.

Treatment changes following aberrant urine drug test results for patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy.

Background/objective: Urine drug testing (UDT) may be used to help screen for prescription opioid misuse. There are little data available describing usual pain care practices for patients who have aberrant UDT results. The goal of this research was to evaluate the clinical care for patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy (COT) and have an aberrant UDT.

Biopsychosocial factors associated with pain in veterans with the hepatitis C virus.

Little research has examined etiological factors associated with pain in patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between biopsychosocial factors and pain among patients with HCV. Patients with HCV and pain (n = 119) completed self-report measures of pain, mental health functioning, pain-specific psychosocial variables (pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy for managing pain, social support), prescription opioid use, and demographic characteristics.