Adaptations to pain rehabilitation programmes for non-native patients with chronic pain

Abstract

Purpose. (i) To determine whether adaptations for non-native patients have been implemented in pain rehabilitation programmes; (ii) to determine whether characteristics of the rehabilitation institute are related to having adaptations for non-native patients in place.

Subjects. Rehabilitation institutes and rehabilitation departments of general hospitals in The Netherlands who offer a pain rehabilitation programme.

Method. A questionnaire was handed over in person or by e-mail to the rehabilitation physicians of the participating institutes. Twenty-seven (90%%) questionnaires were returned. The questionnaire concerned programme adaptations and institute characteristics. The data were analysed by χ² tests or Fischer's exact tests and logistic regression analysis.

Results. Twelve institutes (44.4%%) reported having adaptations in place for non-native patients in their pain rehabilitation programme. The most common adaptations were as follows: increased number of consultations (25.9%% of the institutes); longer consultations (25.9%%) and education for employees regarding cultural competency (11.1%%). Institutes which treated a high percentage (≥11%%) of non-native patients had implemented significantly more frequently adaptations to their rehabilitation programme (p  ==  0.04). The number of adaptations was neither associated with the proportion of non-native citizens in the local population nor with the number of the institutes' employees.

Conclusion. Less than half of the institutes had implemented one or more programme adaptations for non-native patients. Institutes which had made adaptations to their rehabilitation programme treated more non-native patients.

Keywords:

• Chronic pain
• minority health

Declartion of interest: This study was financed by ZonMw, the Dutch organization for Health Research and Development, grant number 14350041.