The British Columbia Ministry of Health relies on an outside agency to deal with the most common reason for seeking health care in the province.
A briefing note prepared for the Minister of Health, which was released under the B.C. freedom-of-information law, identified Pain BC as “an integral part to providing British Columbians with effective and appropriate care.”
Pain BC is a coalition of healthcare providers, researchers, decision makers working in healthcare and patients, who work together to provide solutions to chronic pain in the province.
“It’s a very misunderstood condition,” said Maria Hudspith, the executive director of Pain BC.
Patients of chronic pain are frequent users of the healthcare system. Their consistent reliance on medication and health care services makes the disease expensive to treat, Hudspith added.
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The B.C. Ministry of Health said in an email statement that physicians and patients in the province have been seeking “additional tools, resources and effective treatments” to manage chronic pain conditions and increase quality of life.
To achieve that objective, the province has awarded Pain BC about $2.8 million for its Chronic Pain Management program since 2014.
Hudspith defines chronic pain as pain which persists for more than three months. Pain BC estimates that one million British Columbians endure this condition. In 2030, the number of chronic pain patients is expected to increase by roughly 25 percent, with the highest number of those affected being seniors.
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The searing effects of this condition do not end with the healthcare system. Hudspith said they creep into a person’s ability to execute everyday activities. They can also affect one’s mental health and cause addiction.
“It’s (chronic pain) something that government on its own may not really have tackled and it is really necessary for an outside agency to be driving government to pay attention and to act on this issue,” said Hudspith.
Pain BC is the only organization in Canada working with patients and health care providers to address chronic pain management, the B.C. Ministry of Health wrote in an email statement.
The not-for-profit organization has created online patient education sessions to teach patients how to manage their pain, started peer support groups that now have more than 4,000 members and has trained doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers to assess and treat chronic pain. More than 500 physicians in B.C implement these in their practice.
Pain BC is also working with hospitals to change their policies and procedures to better serve patients of chronic pain.
“The healthcare system is very complex and there are many different agendas driving change in the system,” Hudspith said. “We are one of many voices trying to get our issue on the agenda for decision makers.”
“We have all of the thought leaders in the room. It’s been a very important part of our success to have such a broad coalition in terms of building credibility to government and other sectors.”
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According to a briefing note obtained under the B.C. freedom of information law, the British Columbia Ministry of Health does not have a registry for measuring the incidence, prevalence and cost of chronic pain in the province.
The B.C. Ministry of Health said Pain BC’s work will contribute to its service plan objective of “improved patient health outcomes and reduced hospitalizations for seniors through effective community services.”
“Our early assessment of Pain BC is that they are doing good work,” the Ministry added.
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What is the information?
The files are briefing notes prepared for the B.C. Minister of Health for a meeting with Pain BC. The details in the note highlight the history of Pain BC and make reference to the significance of the non-profit organization to the province’s health agenda
From which department did these pages come?
The B.C. Ministry of Health
Why was this information helpful?
The details in the note emphasized the significance of Pain BC’s work to the Ministry of Health. As a result, it inspired the approach I took to write the story and the questions I asked. It also provided some helpful statistics about the extent of chronic pain in British Columbia as well as the cost of treating it.
Relevant Documents for ATIP Pain BC
Federal Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request
Just below is an email confirming that I applied to receive files that had already been requested under the freedom of information law.
