The study examined racial differences in the documentation of pain and the involvement of specialists in the care of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Researchers used data from electronic health records for 1,646 white and 253 black patients who filled opioid prescriptions for more than three months at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System pharmacy.
Researchers found that pain levels were less frequently documented for black patients than for white patients during medical visits. Black patients were also subjected to more tests and were less likely than white patients to be referred to a pain specialist, according to the report.
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