Chronic Pain Journey Map
The journey map is a visual illustration that intends to describe the diverse experiences of persons living with chronic, non-cancer, pain and identifies five key stages of the journey that have critical touchpoints with the health system.
About the Journey Map
Each stage of the journey is framed from the lived experience perspective and explains what works well and common challenges at the individual level.
Additionally, the journey map identifies actions that specific health care stakeholders (i.e. clinicians, health systems/payers, and chronic pain community organizations) can take to improve the pain management process. Each stage includes helpful resources to improve the pain management journey.
Background
The Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic conducted listening sessions and gathered survey data from people living with pain and clinicians who treat pain to better understand chronic pain management. All data was analyzed to identify key themes and summarized in an assessment report. The insights from this work then informed the creation of a person-centered chronic pain journey map.
Goals
The journey map elevates the perspective of those with lived experience and highlights learnings that can be used to improve chronic pain care, and ultimately lead to optimal quality of life for people with pain. Importantly, the journey map is a tool that can be used to not only identify gaps in chronic pain management, but also highlight opportunities to develop tools, resources, and/or initiatives to address those gaps and transform chronic pain care.
Intended audiences include individuals living with pain, clinicians, health systems, payers, community organizations, and others who are committed to understanding and/or improving the chronic pain management process.
Instructions
An interactive web-based version of the journey map can be accessed below. The interactive journey map is also accessible on mobile devices. For further instructions on how to navigate this tool, please watch this instructional video or read our written guidance.
Access the Journey Map
Explore the Chronic Pain Management Journey
Begin learning what works for individuals living with pain, as well as common challenges and specific actions that can be taken by clinicians, payers, health systems, and community organizations to improve chronic pain care. Helpful resources are embedded throughout the journey map.
Resources
Linked Resources
The map’s curated resources can be accessed by navigating within the map or by clicking the stakeholder-specific boxes.
For Individuals with Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain Education
- Types of Pain Conditions
- Video: Learning About Acute and Chronic Pain
- Chronic Pain FAQs
- Chronic Pain and Pain Management 101
- Video: Understanding Chronic Pain and the Patient’s Role in Pain Management
- Complementary Chronic Pain Therapies
- Home Practice Exercises for Chronic Pain
- FAQs — Pain and Opioids
Introduction to Self-Assessment and Pain Management
- Pain Log: Understand what factors affect pain
- Daily Activity Tracker: Document difficulty of daily activities
- Daily Ability Chart: Assess a range of tasks that may be difficult to complete
- Quality of Life Scale: Understand the impact of pain on life
Communication and Support
- Preparing for Your Healthcare Visit
- What to Ask Your Doctor – Opioids
- Smart Patient’s Guide to Chronic Pain Management
Preparation for Initial Clinical Visit
- Overview of Chronic Pain Specialists
- Pain Log
- What to Ask Your Doctor – Opioids
- Preparing for Your Healthcare Visit
- Smart Patient’s Guide to Chronic Pain Management
- Medications and Allergies Pocket Card
Behavioral and Mental Health Information
- PTSD and Pain Conditions
- Video: Pathways Through Pain – Setting Goals and Priorities
- Video: Ten Steps for Moving from Patient to Person
Active Engagement Tools
Treatment and Medication Options
- Non-Opioid Treatment Options for Chronic Pain – Factsheet
- Helpful Information – Patients and Opioids
- Helpful Information – Patients and Opioids [Spanish]
- FAQs – What are Opioids and How Do They Work?
- Prescription Opioids – What You Need to Know
- Expectations for Opioid Therapy
- Insurance Coverage for Opioid Addiction
- Resource Library: Helpful Materials for Patients – Opioids
- Safe Opioid Storage, Tapering, and Disposal
- Understanding Payer Initiatives to Work with Patients on Chronic Opioid Therapy
Care Assessment and Self-Evaluation
Maintaining Quality of Life Goals
- Coping Strategies
- Quality of Life Scale
- Video: Commitment and Acceptance Therapy for Chronic Pain
- Living Life with Pain and Continuing Purposeful Activities
Long-Term Pain Management
For Clinicians
Education and Training Resources
- Pain Education Toolkit
- Pain Management Best Practices
- Chronic Pain Treatments
- Opioid Overview for Healthcare Providers
- Interactive Trainings for Prescribers- Applications of the 2016 CDC Guideline
- Videos on Improving Communication About Prescription Opioids
- Posters for Patients and Providers – Opioids
- Video Library: Pain Management Learning Hub
Clinical Assessment and Evaluation Tools
Assessment, Referral, and Education Tools
- Education and Training for Physicians – Core Pain Curriculum
- Patient Facing Educational Materials
- Referral to a Pain or Addiction Specialist
Communication Resources
Care Team Collaboration
Treatment Resources
Multidisciplinary and Comprehensive Care Delivery
Treatment Management Tools
- Guidance for Dose Reduction and Discontinuation of Opioids
- Case Study: Evaluating High-Risk Patients Treated with Opioids
Long-Term Pain Care
- Clinician Toolkit for OUD and Pain Assessments
- Involving Patients as Equal Partners
- Guidelines for Chronic Pain Management
Research, Diagnostics, and New Treatments
For Health Care Systems
Informational Resources, Standards, and Guidelines
- Guidelines for Low Back Pain
- Pain Assessment and Management Standards
- Re-Evaluating Back Pain and Opioids
- Guidelines on Preventing Diversion of Controlled Substances
- Quality Improvement and Care Coordination: Implementing the CDC Guidelines for Opioid Prescribing
Tools and Case Studies
Education and Training Support
Care Collaboration and Coordination Support
- Program Overview: Collaborative Care Model for People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Case Study: Interprofessional Ambulatory Care Pain Treatment Program
Optimizing Care Delivery
- Implementing CDC’s Opioid Prescribing Guidelines into Clinical Practice
- Physician Pharmacist Collaborative Care Model for Preventing Opioid Misuse
- Case Study: Pain Prevention and Multidisciplinary Care [The Mayo Clinic]
- Case Study: Pharmacist Review on High-Risk Chronic Pain Patients Treated with Opioids in Family Care
- Telecare Collaborative Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Support for Ongoing Care
For Community Organizations
Patient-Centered Care and Peer Support
Partnerships with Patients and Families
- Advancing the Practice of Patient and Family-Centered Care in Hospitals
- Partnering with Patients and Families to Strengthen Approaches to the Opioid Epidemic
- The Role of Family in Chronic Illness
Self-Management Education
Peer Support and Education
Support Networks
Education and Continuity of Care
- [resources pending]
The resources on this page do not necessarily represent the views of any one organization, the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and have not been subjected to the review procedures of, nor are they a product of, the National Academies. We are sharing this curated list based on the expert guidance of Collaborative members to serve as resources.
Feedback
Share Feedback on the Journey Map
Please submit additional chronic pain resources, tools, and/or case studies for inclusion in the journey map through our survey and consider completing the poll questions to help inform our work.
Release Webinar
Implementing the Chronic Pain Journey Map
The Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic convened experts who helped develop the Chronic Pain Journey Map for an implementation-focused discussion using insights from the map to improve the pain management process. Learn more about how patients and clinicians can build strong partnerships, advance effective pain management plans, & increase the quality of life for people with chronic pain.
Social Media Toolkit
Help us spread the word
Tweet this! The NAM #OpioidCollaborative has developed an interactive Journey Map informed by individuals experiencing chronic pain. See what strategies & actions can improve chronic pain management and promote higher quality of life for people with pain: https://bit.ly/3NKJvFc
Share this! The Journey Map from the NAM’s Opioid Collaborative outlines approaches to build strong partnerships between patients and clinicians, advance effective pain management plans, & increase quality of life for people with chronic pain. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3NKJvFc
Contact Information
Questions?
Please contact us at [email protected].
