Pain Control Research in the Terminally ILL

Abstract

The realities of clinical practice as well as the intricacies of basic science must be taken into account by future research into pain control for the terminally ill. Attention is also needed to the integration of various approaches to pain control in order to develop the best possible treatment plan for each individual. An encouraging development in this regard is the rapid growth of interdisciplinary pain clinics and hospice programs. A review of the research literature also suggests that the politics of pain control is another topic requiring closer attention. As a recent National Institutes of Health conference has found, pain control is often inadequate across all settings: acute pain, chronic non-malignant pain, and pediatric pain. It is necessary not only to make further strides in pain control per se, but also to identify those factors that facilitate or hinder the dissemination and implementation of improved techniques. The two main goals in care of the terminally ill are to optimize the quality of their remaining life and to alleviate the distress of their survivors. Pain control research has contributed significantly to meeting those goals, but continued progress is needed in both basic studies and the expanded application of new techniques.