Care for Adults, Adolescents and Children
Quality standards are sets of concise statements designed to help health care professionals easily and quickly know what care to provide, based on the best evidence.
See below for a summary of the quality standard or download it for more detailed statements.
Download the Quality Standard
Quality Statement 1: Comprehensive Assessment
People with chronic pain receive a comprehensive assessment that includes consideration of functional status and the social determinants of health.
Quality Statement 2: Setting Goals for Pain Management and Function
People with chronic pain are encouraged to set goals for pain management and improved function. They regularly evaluate these goals with their health care professionals.
Quality Statement 3: Supported Self-Management and Education
People with chronic pain are offered education and are encouraged and supported to access self-management resources or programs as part of a long-term management strategy.
Quality Statement 4: Physical Activity
People with chronic pain are encouraged and supported to engage in regular physical activity.
Quality Statement 5: Physically Based Interventions
People with chronic pain are encouraged and supported to engage in physically based interventions.
Quality Statement 6: Therapeutic Exercise
People with chronic pain are encouraged and supported to engage in therapeutic exercise.
Quality Statement 7: Pharmacotherapy
People with chronic pain are offered non-opioid pharmacotherapies as first-line treatment for chronic pain. Medications are regularly reviewed for effectiveness in meeting goals for pain management and improved function.
Quality Statement 8: Psychologically Based Interventions
People with chronic pain are offered psychological assessment and appropriate psychologically based interventions.
Quality Statement 9: Psychosocial Supports
People with chronic pain, their families, and their caregivers are offered psychosocial supports that consider their emotional, social, cultural, cognitive, accessibility, or spiritual needs. Psychosocial supports may include traditional knowledge, medicines, and healing practices for chronic pain, where appropriate.
Quality Statement 10: Interventional Management of Chronic Pain
People with chronic pain are offered interventional management, when clinically indicated, in combination with other strategies and interventions as part of an interprofessional approach to chronic pain management.
Quality Statement 11: Access and Referral to an Interprofessional Chronic Pain Program
People whose quality of life is significantly impacted by their chronic pain are referred by their primary care provider to an interprofessional pain program. They are seen for a first appointment within 3 months of referral.
Quality Statement 12: Transitions and Coordination of Care
People with chronic pain receive timely and collaborative care during and after health care transitions.