Pain Management after Hurricane Katrina: Outcomes of Veterans Enrolled in a New Orleans VA Pain Management Program

ABSTRACT Objective. To evaluate Hurricane Katrina’s impact on patients with pre‐existing chronic pain. Design. Review of literature about Hurricane Katrina and chronic pain or pain management and a qualitative interview of all identified patients enrolled in a behavioral pain management program. Setting. Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System, Mental Health Service Line. Subjects. In total, 42 of the 53 (79%) veterans enrolled in a chronic pain program prior to Hurricane Katrina were able to be contacted and evaluated with interviews and a review of their available medical records. Outcome Measures. Major impediments and facilitative factors in delivering pain management services were identified. Conclusions. Health care planning for large‐scale emergencies must take into the need for prompt continuation of pain management services in patients with chronic pre‐existing pain. Coordination between emergency clinics and pain management specialists, as well as the availability of electronic medical records, is an important factor in continuing established pain management services after a regional disaster.