Building on 40 Years: Advancing Chronic Pain Care and Patient Safety
Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. A recent article co‑authored by Dr. Leena Mathew, Co-Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine, along with national leaders in the field, examines how chronic pain management has evolved over the past 40 years and what that progress means for patient safety and anesthesiology. The article appeared in the October issue of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation newsletter.
What’s changed
--Pain care has moved away from a medication‑centric model, and from opioids in particular
--Advances in neuroscience have expanded understanding of pain as a biopsychosocial condition
--Image‑guided interventions and multidisciplinary care have improved safety and outcomes
The bigger picture
As pain care continues to evolve, safer and more personalized approaches are shaping how patients are treated across procedural, perioperative, and longitudinal settings, with a growing focus on harm reduction, whole‑person care, and access to effective treatment.
Bottom line
Chronic pain care is moving beyond symptom control toward safer, more patient‑centered practice.