Exemplary Integrated Pain Management Programs: People’s Community Clinic Integrative Pain Management Program

Summary

Background

The Integrative Pain Management Program (IPMP) is based within People’s Community Clinic (PCC), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Austin, Texas. The IPMP was established in 2018 after grant funding from the Health Services & Resources Administration (HRSA) was provided to expand mental health services and address the opioid epidemic.

Care Delivery Approach

The IPMP aims to treat pain and improve patients’ functioning and quality of life while reducing the use of pain medication and other substances. The program, and PCC more broadly, equips patients with the necessary skills to manage their pain and advocate for themselves and their care needs. The IPMP care team includes primary care physicians, social workers, yoga therapists, acupuncturists, attorneys, and a nutritionist.

Results to Date

Program staff described that benefits of the IPMP can be challenging to measure directly, especially while the IPMP is relatively new, but preliminary outcomes data and patient feedback have been promising. Findings from interviews with patients indicated that the IPMP has contributed to improvements in quality of life, diminished stress, increased self-efficacy, and new skills to cope with and manage pain. The IPMP has also experienced steadily increasing demand and patient volume since inception.