The journey map is a visual illustration that intends to describe the diverse experiences of persons living with chronic, non-cancer, pain and identifies five key stages of the journey that have critical touchpoints with the health system. Each stage of the journey is framed from the lived experience perspective and explains what works well and common challenges at the individual level. Additionally, the journey map identifies actions that specific health care stakeholders (i.e. clinicians, health systems/payers, and chronic pain community organizations) can take to improve the pain management process. Each stage includes helpful resources to improve the pain management journey.
The map’s curated resources can be accessed by navigating within the map or by clicking the stakeholder-specific boxes below.
Background
The Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic conducted listening sessions and gathered survey data from people living with pain and clinicians who treat pain to better understand chronic pain management. All data was analyzed to identify key themes and summarized in an assessment report. The insights from this work then informed the creation of a person-centered chronic pain journey map.
Goals
The journey map elevates the perspective of those with lived experience and highlights learnings that can be used to improve chronic pain care, and ultimately lead to optimal quality of life for people with pain. Importantly, the journey map is a tool that can be used to not only identify gaps in chronic pain management, but also highlight opportunities to develop tools, resources, and/or initiatives to address those gaps and transform chronic pain care.
Intended audiences include individuals living with pain, clinicians, health systems, payers, community organizations, and others who are committed to understanding and/or improving the chronic pain management process.
Journey Map Instructions
An interactive web-based version of the journey map can be accessed below. The interactive journey map is also accessible on mobile devices. For further instructions on how to navigate this tool, please watch this instructional video or read our written guidance. To download a static version of the journey map, please click on the PDF download button.
Access the Journey Map
The resources on this page do not necessarily represent the views of any one organization, the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and have not been subjected to the review procedures of, nor are they a product of, the National Academies. We are sharing this curated list based on the expert guidance of Collaborative members to serve as resources. Please submit additional chronic pain resources, tools, and/or case studies for inclusion in the journey map through our survey here >>>
Linked Resources
Easily view the resources from the journey map by category below.
For Individuals with Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain Education
• Types of Pain Conditions
• Video: Learning About Acute and Chronic Pain
• Chronic Pain FAQs
• Chronic Pain and Pain Management 101
• Video: Understanding Pain and What You Can Do
• Video: Understanding Chronic Pain and the Patient’s Role in Pain Management
• Complementary Chronic Pain Therapies
• Home Practice Exercises for Chronic Pain
• FAQs — Pain and Opioids
Introduction to Self-Assessment and Pain Management
• Pain Log: Understand what factors affect pain
• Daily Activity Tracker: Document difficulty of daily activities
• Daily Ability Chart: Assess a range of tasks that may be difficult to complete
• Quality of Life Scale: Understand the impact of pain on life
Communication and Support
• Preparing for Your Healthcare Visit
• Preparing for Conversations with Your Physician
• What to Ask Your Doctor – Opioids
• Smart Patient’s Guide to Chronic Pain Management
Preparation for Initial Clinical Visit
• Overview of Chronic Pain Specialists
• Pain Log
• Preparing for Conversations with Your Physician
• What to Ask Your Doctor – Opioids
• Preparing for Your Healthcare Visit
• Smart Patient’s Guide to Chronic Pain Management
• Medications and Allergies Pocket Card
Behavioral and Mental Health Information
• PTSD and Pain Conditions
• Video: Pathways Through Pain – Setting Goals and Priorities
• Video: Ten Steps for Moving from Patient to Person
Active Engagement Tools
• Resources for Better Sleep
• Activity Pacing Handout
• Self-Management Action Plan
Treatment and Medication Options
• Non-Opioid Treatment Options for Chronic Pain – Factsheet
• Helpful Information – Patients and Opioids
• Helpful Information – Patients and Opioids [Spanish]
• FAQs – What are Opioids and How Do They Work?
• Prescription Opioids – What You Need to Know
• Expectations for Opioid Therapy
• Preventing Opioid Misuse
• Insurance Coverage for Opioid Addiction
• Resource Library: Helpful Materials for Patients – Opioids
• Safe Opioid Storage, Tapering, and Disposal
• Understanding Payer Initiatives to Work with Patients on Chronic Opioid Therapy
Care Assessment and Self-Evaluation
• Follow-up Visit Assessment
Maintaining Quality of Life Goals
• Coping Strategies
• Quality of Life Scale
• Video: Commitment and Acceptance Therapy for Chronic Pain
• Living Life with Pain and Continuing Purposeful Activities
Long-Term Pain Management
• Daily Medication Tracker Tool
• Understanding Payer Initiatives to Work with Patients on Chronic Opioid Therapy
For Clinicians
Education and Training Resources
• Pain Education Toolkit
• Pain Management Best Practices
• Chronic Pain Treatments
• Opioid Overview for Healthcare Providers
• Interactive Trainings for Prescribers- Applications of the 2016 CDC Guideline
• Videos on Improving Communication About Prescription Opioids
• Posters for Patients and Providers – Opioids
• Video Library: Pain Management Learning Hub
Clinical Assessment and Evaluation Tools
• Pain Management Toolkit (pharmacists)
• Pain Management Toolkit (all clinicians)
Assessment, Referral, and Education Tools
• Education and Training for Physicians – Core Pain Curriculum
• Patient Facing Educational Materials
• Referral to a Pain or Addiction Specialist
Communication Resources
• Improving Pain Management and Opioids In Partnerships with Families and Patients: Initial Questions to Ask
Care Team Collaboration
• Team-based/Collaborative Care and Collective Intelligence
• Involving Patients as Equal Partners
Treatment Resources
• MME Calculator and Guidelines
• Checklist for Prescribing Opioids
• Clinical Tool for Prescribing Opioids
Multidisciplinary and Comprehensive Care Delivery
• Fact Sheet: Shared-Decision Making
Treatment Management Tools
• Guidance for Dose Reduction and Discontinuation of Opioids
• Case Study: Evaluating High-Risk Patients Treated with Opioids
Long-Term Pain Care
• Clinician Toolkit for OUD and Pain Assessments
• Involving Patients as Equal Partners
• Guidelines for Chronic Pain Management
Research, Diagnostics, and New Treatments
• Video: Involving Patients as Equal Partners in Research
For Health Care Systems
Informational Resources, Standards, and Guidelines
• Guidelines for Low Back Pain
• Pain Assessment and Management Standards
• Re-Evaluating Back Pain and Opioids
• Guidelines on Preventing Diversion of Controlled Substances
• Quality Improvement and Care Coordination: Implementing the CDC Guidelines for Opioid Prescribing
Tools and Case Studies
• Barriers to Accessing Primary and Pain Care
Education and Training Support
• Interprofessional Pain Curriculum Outline
Care Collaboration and Coordination Support
• Program Overview: Collaborative Care Model for People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Case Study: Interprofessional Ambulatory Care Pain Treatment Program
Optimizing Care Delivery
• Implementing CDC’s Opioid Prescribing Guidelines into Clinical Practice
• Physician Pharmacist Collaborative Care Model for Preventing Opioid Misuse
• Case Study: Pain Prevention and Multidisciplinary Care [The Mayo Clinic]
• Case Study: Pharmacist Review on High-Risk Chronic Pain Patients Treated with Opioids in Family Care
• Telecare Collaborative Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Support for Ongoing Care
• Handbook for Healthcare Executives and Safe Opioid Prescribing
• 6 Building Blocks to Improving Opioid Care
For Community Organizations
Patient-Centered Care and Peer Support
• Partnering with Patients and Families to Strengthen Approaches to the Opioid Epidemic
Partnerships with Patients and Families
• Advancing the Practice of Patient and Family-Centered Care in Hospitals
• Partnering with Patients and Families to Strengthen Approaches to the Opioid Epidemic
• The Role of Family in Chronic Illness
Self-Management Education
• Self-Management Education (SME) Workshop
• Self-Management Tools
Peer Support and Education
• How to Develop and Implement Peer Support Programs
Support Networks
• Benefits of Social Support Handout
Education and Continuity of Care
• [resources pending]
Feedback
Please submit additional chronic pain resources, tools, and/or case studies for inclusion in the journey map through our survey and consider completing the poll questions to help inform our work. Access the survey here >>>
If you selected the “other” option, would like to provide input on the journey map, or would like to submit relevant resources for inclusion in the Journey Map, please complete this brief survey.
