Observational Study Linking Genetic Variants With Clinical Outcomes in Pain Management

Clinicians who treat pain have noted that the response to opioids and other pain medications varies widely among patients. Differences in the degree of pain stimulation and pain sensitivity, weight and age differences, prior opioid use and tolerance, as well as the differences in bioavailability of various opioid formulations have been cited as causes for the wide variability in analgesia seen with opioids. However, a significant component of chronic pain may also be explained by genetic polymorphisms. Genetic information may explain the variability of responses and help predict more effective (or less dangerous) treatments and medication choices and doses. By identifying the genetic risks and the most effective analgesic for an individual patient, clinicians may be able to improve the efficacy of the pain treatments and medications and decrease the risk of iatrogenically-induced overdose, addiction, and death. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how currently available genetic tests are being implemented in a pain management setting and whether this information results in benefits to patient care. Chronic pain patients receiving routine medical visits for their care will complete validated questionnaires to measure pain levels, disability indices, mental health, and quality of life measurements at each clinical visit. Physicians will document any changes made to treatment regimens, including adjustments to medications or non-pharmacological treatments and improvements in pain, functional ratings, or patient satisfaction. Concomitantly, this study will use the collected genetic and clinical data to create a data registry in order to examine novel correlations and associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms and longitudinal datasets. The results of this study will elucidate potential predictive variables of chronic pain development and/or treatment that will assist in making better healthcare decisions in the selection of treatment modalities and dosing of medications for chronic pain.