Research Spotlight

Duke Study Validates the Anecdotal Barriers to Whole Person, Evidence Based, Multimodal Pain Care

Innovation, leadership, and community-based collaboration are integral when building integrated, integrative pain care available for all people.

This qualitative study from Duke University describes how health care systems, payers, providers, health policy researchers, and other stakeholders are overcoming barriers to developing and sustaining IPM programs in real-world settings.

Four major themes and associated strategies emerged –

  • navigating coverage, payment, and reimbursement (e.g., use of group visits, linked visits between billable and nonbillable providers, and development of value-based payment models);
  • enacting organizational change (e.g., engagement of clinical and administrative champions and co-location of services);
  • making a business case to stakeholders (e.g., demonstrating the ability to initially break even and potential to reduce downstream costs, while improving nonfinancial outcomes like patient satisfaction and provider burnout);
  • and overcoming regulatory hurdles (e.g., innovative credentialing methods by leveraging available waivers and managed care contracting to expand access to IPM services.)

AACIPM is enthusiastic to work with Duke and others to leverage the lessons learned from existing programs that provide direction on how to grow and support person-centered, integrative delivery models across a variety of settings.