CMS Releases a Chronic Pain Experience Journey Map

In early May, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Chronic Pain Experience Journey Map (PDF) to highlight the most prominent barriers experienced by people accessing care and the influencers acting on providers, ultimately affecting the person with chronic pain, their quality of care, and their quality of life. CMS used qualitative research methods and a human-centered design process to understand and visualize the customer experiences living with, providing care for, and treating people with chronic pain. They also leveraged data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CMS is exploring where opportunities exist for them to address these issues. All are encouraged to explore where opportunities exist to bring ease for those suffering with chronic pain, such as eliminating the stigmas that exist not only for those who suffer with chronic pain, but also those who suffer with behavioral health issues as well as those who suffer from opioid use disorder.