Virtual care for patients with chronic pain and addictions during the COVID-19 pandemic

摘要

Recent correspondence from Webster et al. 1 andD’Alessandro et al. 2 has highlighted the challenges thatthe COVID-19 pandemic has posed to the provision ofchronic pain care. That populations with the combina-tion of chronic pain and a socioeconomically vulnerableor marginalized status have been particularly affected 1–4resonates strongly with our local experience managingpatients with chronic pain and addictions or opioid usedisorder. The pandemic has led to the suspension of allnon-urgent ambulatory clinic visits and group sessionsat the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Center PainManagement Unit (QE2 PMU) as well as visits toa community-based outreach clinic for patients withchronic pain and addiction comorbidities in Halifax,Nova Scotia, as of March 18, 2020.