Increases in underlying medical conditions have resulted in rising chronic conditions in recent years, necessitating pain management. One in four adults have two or more chronic conditions, and more than half of older adults have three or more. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, a chronic condition is defined as “a physical or mental condition lasting more than one year and causes function restrictions or requires ongoing monitoring or treatment.” Due to an increase in chronic conditions across age groups as well as the growing demand for pain relief, pain management is one of the fastest growing sectors of health care.
Chronic conditions have been on the rise for the past several decades and are the number one reason a patient sees the doctor. Chronic pain affects more Americans than any other disease including cancer, heart disease or diabetes. One out of every six Americans experiences pain on a daily basis. In fact, 40 million Americans have severe pain and nearly 20 million have pain that regularly prevents work or life activities. Because chronic conditions are rising in the United States, the need for pain management is greater than before.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 85% of older adults have at least one chronic
health condition, while 60% have at least two, and according to the World Health
Organization, “the global geriatric population is projected to reach around 2 billion by 2050.”
The rapid increase in the geriatric population also contributes significantly to the growing pain management field.
Not only do chronic conditions cost the health care industry billions of dollars each year, they also impact the economy in terms of the workforce. It is estimated that chronic pain results in $80 billion in lost wages annually and $300 billion in lost productivity. Interventional pain management plays a role in decreasing these costs for individuals, corporations and the healthcare industry.
Pain affects patient outcomes drastically as patients who have poorly managed pain require more health care services than individuals who do not suffer from pain. While providers enter the field each day, there is still a need for more pain management providers to combat the growing chronic pain patient population and to help reduce mounting health care costs. Interventional pain management directly impacts patient outcomes, resulting in a growing field for both patients and providers.
Pain is difficult to navigate, but pain management decreases suffering and drastically improves quality of life. PartnerCare can play a vital supporting role for an interventional pain management practice. With our team of experts and support, providers can focus more on caring for the growing population of pain patients. To learn more about what teaming with PartnerCare can mean to you and your practice, visit www.partnercare.com/contact-us/.