Failure to Treat Pain

Abstract

Simply stated, there is an epidemic of undertreated pain, and it has been recognized as a major public health problem. The question that begs to be answered, candidly and definitively, is how such a state of affairs could have developed at the very time when advances in medical science and technology offer a wide variety of pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures for the management of pain. The problem of undertreated pain is complex, and therefore, so too must be any plausible explanation of it. The problem of undertreated pain can be solved. To do so, we need to address the medical and legal climates and the realities of a clinical situation that detract from empathic care. These realms are intricately tied to one another. In the end, professionals will need to accept the fact that, while they are caring people, there are too many barriers to the treatment of pain and the provision of empathic care that they simply cannot be overcome flying by the seats of our collective pants. We will have to accept our limitations and then work to overcome them with technologic and educational initiatives that promote communication and empathy such as screening tools and other aids. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)