Problematic pain - redefining how we view pain?

The term 'problematic pain' is relatively new and has been the recent source of much debate, especially among primary and community care pain clinicians. In this article, we review the concept of problematic pain, highlighting how it fits in the context of acute, sub-acute and chronic pain. We also examine how risk for the development of chronicity can be assessed using current data and screening tools.

Implementing the National Service Framework for Long-Term (Neurological) Conditions: service user and service provider experiences.

Purpose: This research explored the experiences of service users and providers during the implementation of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-Term (Neurological) Conditions (LTNCs).

Method: A participatory qualitative research design was employed. Data were collected using 50 semi-structured interviews with service users, 25 of whom were re-interviewed on three occasions.

Out-of-hours special patient notes.

In 2011, an out-of-hours service in central London reviewed its system for special patient notes (SPNs) - a main mechanism to communicate valuable information about patients to the clinicians who cover two-thirds of the week when day-time general practices are closed. This revealed that: half of frequent callers did not have an SPNabout half of existing SPNs were out of dateday-time general practitioners (GPs) respond well to requests by out-of-hours doctors to provide an SPNproviding SPNs was low on the list of priorities of day-time GPs who were too busy reacting to everyday problems.

Out-of-hours special patient notes.

In 2011, an out-of-hours service in central London reviewed its system for special patient notes (SPNs) - a main mechanism to communicate valuable information about patients to the clinicians who cover two-thirds of the week when day-time general practices are closed. This revealed that: half of frequent callers did not have an SPNabout half of existing SPNs were out of dateday-time general practitioners (GPs) respond well to requests by out-of-hours doctors to provide an SPNproviding SPNs was low on the list of priorities of day-time GPs who were too busy reacting to everyday problems.