Characterizing the pain needs of structurally vulnerable palliative care patients with substance use disorder

An important part of palliative care is managing pain, including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual suffering. However, people with substance use disorder (SUD), who experience homelessness and poverty (for example), face barriers in having their pain needs met. These unmet needs are due to gaps between palliative and substance use care, and because this group of people face social and health care barriers that limit their access to resources and support. Unmanaged pain among this group can have significant consequences, including suffering at the end of life and increasing risk of negative health outcomes, such as overdose. This study will examine the pain needs of palliative patients with SUD, gaps in the management of pain for this population and develop approaches to meet these needs. Research activities include interviews with palliative care patients with SUD and service providers, observations in care settings, and mapping tools to understand the broader scope of the topic. By making connections between pain management approaches among palliative and substance use health care, this research will generate new ideas to improve the management of pain among palliative care patients with SUD.