To characterize the relationship between pain management practices and patient sociodemographic factors among older, minoritized and hospitalized patients
Aksharananda Rambachan, MD, MPH
University of California San Francisco, Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR)
Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH
University of Texas Medical Branch, Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC)
Project Description:
This research project aims to understand how pain is managed for older adults in hospitals, especially those from minority groups. We believe that older patients, particularly those from diverse backgrounds or with conditions like dementia, might not receive adequate pain treatment. This study will look at data from about 30,000 older patients who were hospitalized over the past ten years. We will examine how factors like a patient's race, ethnicity, language, and age-related conditions affect how much pain patients report and what pain medications they receive.
Potential Impact:
This research project could significantly improve pain management for older, hospitalized adults, especially those from minority groups. By identifying disparities in pain assessment and treatment, it paves the way for more equitable healthcare practices and policies. This is an area where there is a complete lack of evidence-based medicine. The findings from this work could enhance geriatric medicine, particularly for patients with conditions like dementia who struggle to communicate their pain. Moreover, it could contribute to addressing the opioid crisis by optimizing pain management strategies. Ultimately, this project has the potential to reduce suffering, improve patient outcomes, and create a more just healthcare system for our aging and diverse population.
Next Steps:
The next steps for this work include further qualitative investigations into what matters for certain patient groups. We also need to better understand how the inpatient management of pain is related to key post-discharge outcomes, including hospital-acquired disability and quality of life.
The importance/value of RCCN funding for this collaborative research:
The generous financial support of the RCCN is instrumental for creating dedicated time to pursue this work. As an early career investigator, the clinical workload is heavier for Dr. Rambachan. To progress as a physician-investigator, these awards are essential to building mentorship relationships, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and the time to collect, analyze, and publish our data.