Health Quality Ontario has released the following three
quality standards related to pain and its associated symptoms, which are
applicable to all health care settings (primary care, home and community care,
long-term care, and acute care) and care providers:
- Chronic Pain: focusing on care for adults, adolescents, and children with chronic
pain
- Low Back Pain: focusing on care for people 16 years of age and older with
persistent or recurrent episodes of acute lower back pain
- Osteoarthritis: focusing on care for adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or hand
(i.e., thumb or fingers)
Each of the above quality standards includes a unique set of
quality statements addressing areas that were identified as having high
potential for improving the quality of care in Ontario for people with pain and
its associated symptoms.
Although they are separate quality standards, many of the
themes and tools overlap, and we have therefore grouped the tools together in
this post. Below is a sample of tools and resources that may help you with the
implementation of these quality standards.
Are there other tools or resources you use? Do you have
experience implementing these tools? If you have any feedback about any of
these tools, please use the comments section below to share!
Tools and Resources Specific to Each Quality Standard
Comprehensive Resources Related to the Chronic Pain
Quality Standard
The following tools and/or resources may apply to more than
one quality statement in the
Chronic Pain Quality Standard:
- Management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Tool and Appendix—a tool to assist care
providers assess and develop care plans for people with chronic pain from the
Centre for Effective Practice. This page also provides another version of this
tool as a custom form on Telus PS Suite and OSCAR EMRs, and a list of
region-specific resources to identify local resources supporting pain
management
- Ontario Pain Management Resources—an up-to-date list of educational resources for
health care professionals from Health Quality Ontario
Comprehensive Resources Related to the Osteoarthritis
Quality Standard
The following tool may apply to more than one quality
statement in the
Osteoarthritis Quality Standard:
- Osteoarthritis Tool—a
tool from the Centre for Effective Practice to help primary care providers
identify symptoms and provide evidence-based non-pharmacological and
pharmacological management while identifying triggers for investigations or
referrals
Comprehensive Resources Related to the Low Back Pain
Quality Standard
The following tools and/or resources may apply to more than
one quality statement in the
Low Back Pain Quality Standard:
- Clinically Organized Relevant Exam (CORE) Back Tool—a tool developed by the Centre for
Effective Practice that offers evidence-based assessment and treatment options.
A Telus PS Suite EMR version of this tool is also available
- Keele STarT Back Screening Tool—a tool developed by Keele University in the
United Kingdom to support back pain screening and assessment
- Spine Online Course—an online course for health care providers developed by the
Centre for Effective Practice that offers evidence-based assessment and
treatment options for low back or neck pain
Common Tools and Resources for Pain-Related Quality
Standards
Clinical Practice Supports
Educational Opportunities for Health Care
Professionals
Resources for Patients, Caregivers, and Families
- Arthritis Rehabilitation and Education Program—a
program by the Arthritis
Society that provides patients with arthritic/degenerative
joints with self-management approaches and education
- Back Care Canada—a web-based resource developed by
healthcare professionals for those with back pain
- Doc Mike Evans Low Back Pain—a visually-guided
low back pain self-management video for patients
- Imaging Tests for Lower Back Pain—a patient
pamphlet by Choosing Wisely Canada that provides information on
appropriate use of imaging tests
- NeuroNova Centre—a centre that offers
mindfulness-based chronic pain management courses (both in person and via
telemedicine), and facilitator training courses
- Pain BC (British
Columbia) has several resources to support education and self-management, including the
following:
- Live
Plan Be
—a website with resources and information dedicated to helping
individuals control their chronic pain
- Pain BC Toolbox—pain management resources to help patients
cope with chronic pain
- Pain U Online—a self-management learning module about
chronic pain from the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute
- UnlockFood.ca (formerly EatRight Ontario)—a
website that provides information on nutrition, food, and healthy
eating, along with recipes and interactive healthy eating tools and
resources. Individuals can also connect to a registered dietitian
Access to Local Programs and Supports
- Chronic Pain Clinics—information about
clinics located across Ontario that support the development of
personalized treatment plans for pain, including education, exercise,
self-management tools, and pharmacological and nonpharmacological
therapies
- GLA:D Canada—a community-based education and exercise
program for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis that helps people
manage their symptoms of pain and loss of function
- Online Self-Management Program—a program for chronic
illness (including chronic pain) available via online or
in-person facilitated workshop sessions throughout Ontario
- Rapid Access Clinics for Musculoskeletal Care—information
about clinics that help patients with musculoskeletal conditions access care
quickly, focusing on hip and knee arthritis and certain types of low back pain
- thehealthline.ca—an
online resource to learn more about existing community-based therapeutic
exercise programs, physical activity programs, and resources available to
support patient education and self-management of osteoarthritis
- Toronto Academic
Pain Medicine Institute
—a comprehensive, interdisciplinary academic pain
program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto
Other Resources
The following are useful tools and/or resources for pain
management that do not fall under any specific quality standard topics.
Comment below to describe your experience with these
tools or share any others you have found useful!