{"id":3737,"date":"2020-11-19T12:50:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T20:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/an-intersectional-approach-to-treating-chronic-pain\/"},"modified":"2023-11-26T08:35:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T16:35:14","slug":"an-intersectional-approach-to-treating-chronic-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/an-intersectional-approach-to-treating-chronic-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"An Intersectional Approach to Treating Chronic Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n Press Release<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

An Intersectional Approach to Treating Chronic Pain<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n November 19, 2020<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/path><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\r\n\r\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n

The medical records of chronic pain patients generally identify patient demographics including race, age, gender, or employment.\u00a0 Sometimes, the patient\u2019s gender orientation status is also included.<\/p>\n

Except for racial\/ethnic-specific reference intervals for laboratory tests, these medical records rarely reveal how else these variables come into play in the patient\u2019s treatment of chronic pain<\/a>.\u00a0 In fact, except for a \u201ccut and paste,\u201d into a future note, there will be no further mention of these items.\u00a0 This documentation illustrates that more progress is needed for clinicians to identify how to interweave complex patient variables into their standard treatment protocols.<\/p>\n

Like what you\u2019re learning?\u00a0 Consider enrolling in our online certificate or master\u2019s program in Pain Medicine<\/a> in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Get<\/a><\/figure>\n

Intersectional Theory and Chronic Pain<\/h2>\n

Research clearly demonstrates that these variables can impact chronic pain patient\u2019s<\/a> access to treatment, patient-clinician communication, treatment planning, response to treatments as well as health outcomes (1).\u00a0 Additionally, if a chronic pain patient has more than one of these memberships, e.g. minority, disabled, low or no income, this can further complicate the picture of their care.<\/p>\n

Intersectional theory<\/a> asserts that people are often disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression.\u00a0 The opportunity to address this oppression exists in all levels of medical care with the goal of increasing accessibility of care, improving the predictability of getting appropriate care, and enhancing feelings of safety for all patients with chronic pain.<\/p>\n

In this article, \u201cIntersectionality in Clinical Medicine: The need for a conceptual framework<\/a>,\u201d(2), the authors discuss how intersectionality may provide a useful framework to address some of the problems created by the interpersonal, social and political structures within which patients with chronic pain exist in the medical setting.<\/p>\n

Two clinical scenarios are presented as examples of how intersectionality as an embedded approach would look in patient clinician interactions.\u00a0 They also address a response to objections to the concept of intersectionality.<\/p>\n

The authors conclude that the application of intersectionality in the medical setting:<\/p>\n