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Study Finds End of Life Pain Management Inadequate

By Lindsay F. Wiley [Bio]

November 19, 2002 - The first comprehensive study of end-of-life care comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia suggests that dying patients are not receiving adequate services to manage their pain. The report graded each state regarding its provision of several end-of-life services, including hospital palliative care programs, palliative care-certified doctors and nurses, and state pain policies.

The study, "Means to a Better End: A Report on Dying in America Today," was released by Last Acts, a coalition of 1,000 organizations such as the American Medical Association, the AARP, the NAACP, and the American Hospital Association. The analysis is based on data collected from 1997 through 2002.

According to the study, nearly half of the 1.6 million Americans living in nursing homes suffer from persistent, severe pain that is inadequately treated. Only 14 percent of hospitals nationwide offer specialized palliative care programs that focus on pain relief as well as offering emotional and spiritual support. About 42 percent of hospitals offer some sort of pain management program. The study also noted that laws in 35 states that are intended to prevent the misuse of painkillers create considerable barriers to adequate pain management for dying patients.

The report recommends that the federal government revise Medicare policy to provide more comprehensive care for dying patients and that state legislatures take steps to make prescribing needed pain medications easier.