In Sweden, approximately 20% of adults experience moderate to severe chronic pain, with around 7% seeking healthcare. Many chronic pain patients have a high level of healthcare utilization and are often on sick leave. Care for chronic pain in the country has been described as unequal and uncoordinated in both primary and specialised care and shortcomings in treatment, accessibility, an competence of professionals at all levels have been reported by patient organisations.
To address patients’ needs for continuity and quality of care, as well as to support caregivers to provide evidence based and coherent care in different contexts through Sweden, a carefully selected National Action Group (NAG) on Pain was commissioned to develop a Swedish national person-centered and coherent care pathway for adults with chronic pain.
The Swedish Healthcare Pathway for Chronic Pain
The P3C pathway integrates best available practices with the perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals to provide a generic chronic pain treatment structure spanning from primary care to specialised medical interventions and rehabilitation.
The study An action plan: The Swedish healthcare pathway for adults with chronic pain aims to describe the development process for the creation of the pathway, which includes the formation of a multiprofessional expert group with patient representation, an analysis of potential consequences, and an anchoring process with input from stakeholders. The study concludes by calling for the implementation of the P3C pathway, arguing that, over time, earlier interventions and a more structured approach to care may lead to less care seeking and costs for patients, the healthcare system, and society as a whole.