Key result
There is currently limited evidence to determine whether a stand-alone acute pain service or a concurrent OR-APS model provides better patient outcomes and financial costs.
This discourse highlights the debate and need for research regarding whether acute pain medicine should be structured as a stand-alone service or a concurrent OR-APS model.
Acute pain medicine (APM) has been incorporated into healthcare systems in varied manners with some practices implementing a stand-alone acute pain service (APS) staffed by consultants who are not simultaneously providing care in the operating room (OR). In contrast, other practices have developed a concurrent OR-APS model where there is no independent team beyond the intraoperative care providers. There are theoretical advantages of each approach primarily with respect to patient outcomes and financial cost, and there is little evidence to instruct best practice. In this daring discourse, we present two opposing perspectives on whether or not APM should be a stand-alone service. While evidence to guide best practice is limited, our goal is to encourage discussion of the varied APS practice models and research into their impact on outcomes and costs.
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Missair et al. (2021) conducted an editorial in Acute pain. Stand-alone acute pain service (APS) vs. Concurrent OR-APS model was evaluated. There is currently limited evidence to determine whether a stand-alone acute pain service or a concurrent OR-APS model provides better patient outcomes and financial costs.
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