Project Summary
Individuals who deal with chronic pain from musculoskeletal disorders often find basic daily living skills to be challenging. For patients who also have co-morbid cardiovascular disease or diabetes, it is critical to manage pain while staying active. These patients may be less likely to adhere to the treatment regimen from their providers. Appointments can become burdensome; medications may cause side effects; and when pain flares, it can become easy to ignore the other more silent conditions.
Public–private partnerships have served as a successful framework for driving healthcare change, and they will act as the foundation for this project. This includes government, nonprofits, and private-sector providers and purchasers. Specific activities will include the following:
- Conducting interviews with key stakeholders about barriers and opportunities to care
- Mapping the patient delivery system for this population in order to fully understand all the touch points and variables
- Developing key findings and an educational forum (web based) about comparative effectiveness research broadly and opportunities for this population specifically
Partner development will occur through three phases.
Phase One: We will cultivate project champions and key influencers. This may include a physician, a patient advocate, and a public-sector champion.
Phase Two: With partnerships already in place with several national organizations, this project will forge relationships with additional organizations representing stakeholders who encounter the patient population. This will increase future access to obtain or disseminate information.
Phase Three: It will be critical to engage practitioners and patients directly. This will include individuals representing the patient and all key touch points.