[Psychological support for patients in pain]. / Quel accompagnement psychologique pour le patient douloureux ?

Whether acute or chronic, pain leads to a reorganization of the subject's psychic functioning, and thus to a different interpretation of his or her own painful experience. To transform the experience, pain must be addressed in all its biopsychosocial components, and through the use of various therapeutic devices, with the hope of overcoming it.

Impact of COVID-19 on chronic pain structures: data from French national survey.

Aims: The authors evaluated the impact of the first COVID-19 pandemic wave on French chronic pain structures (CPS). Methods: An online survey assessed CPS resource allocation, workflow and perceived impact on patient care. Results: All CPS workflow was severely impacted by the reallocation of 42% of specialists. In-person appointments were cancelled by 72% of participants. Follow-up was maintained in 91% of participants (telemedicine). Skills in end-of-life decision-making/counseling were rarely solicited. The perceived impact of the crisis on the experience of patients was high (eight out of ten), with a significant increase in access-to-care delay. Conclusion: CPS maintained patient follow-up. Special features of CPS specialists were rarely solicited by COVID-19 teams experiencing a high workload. Recommendations on optimal CPS resource reallocations have to be standardized in crisis conditions.