Management of chronic pain in a rural Australian setting: Findings from the Crossroads-II mixed-methods study

Background and objective: Rural patients with chronic pain likely experience barriers to optimal management and access to care. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of chronic pain in a rural setting and the utilisation of specialist pain clinics and to investigate factors associated with well-managed pain. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (2016-18) involving quantitative and text-based data was completed by adults from randomly selected households in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria. Results: Among the 2680 respondents, 594 (22%) reported chronic pain. Few (6%) respondents with chronic pain were accessing specialist pain clinics. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the strongest predictors of well-managed chronic pain were older age, the absence of depression or disability and a longer duration of chronic pain. Discussion: This study found a similar prevalence of chronic pain to other, predominantly metropolitan Australian studies, with low participation in specialist pain clinics. The results suggest that improved access to multidisciplinary pain management approaches in rural areas is warranted.