Agir face au fardeau de la douleur chronique par l'amélioration de l'accès à des services appropriés tout au long du continuum


Kadija Perreault

Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale [CIRRIS]


Domaine : services de santé

Programme chercheurs-boursiers - Junior 1

Concours 2017-2018

Pain is the primary reason people seek care from a healthcare professional. One in five Canadians live with chronic pain, the great majority suffering from musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, that is pain felt in the bones, joints, muscles or surrounding areas. MSK pain is associated with important consequences at the individual and societal levels. For the individual, chronic pain contributes for example to physical impairments and disability, loss of life-roles, social isolation and challenges to family life. At the societal level, prolonged disability is associated with increased use of healthcare resources such as diagnostic tests and medical consultations. Importantly, the costs of healthcare services for chronic pain alone are equivalent to those of cardiovascular diseases or cancer.

Lack or delay in access to appropriate services can contribute to the development of chronic pain and disability. Access to services was declared a fundamental human right and a key ethical issue. Overall, little research has been conducted on access to services for persons experiencing MSK pain. The main goal of this research program is to improve access to appropriate services for persons experiencing MSK pain across the care continuum. More specifically, this research program will allow to 1) document access to services and factors influencing access to services for different groups of persons experiencing MSK pain, 2) evaluate the impacts of the state of access to services, as well as 3) develop and assess strategies aiming to improve access to appropriate services for persons experiencing MSK pain.