Comprehensive Caregiver Supports and Ascertainment and Treatment of Veteran Pain

Courtney H. Van Houtven; Valerie A. Smith; Katherine E.M. Miller; Theodore S.Z. Berkowitz; Megan Shepherd-Banigan; Tyler Hein; Lauren S. Penney; Kelli D. Allen; Margaret Kabat; Timothy Jobin; S. Nicole Hastings

doi:10.1177/10775587231210026

Comprehensive Caregiver Supports and Ascertainment and Treatment of Veteran Pain

Courtney H. Van Houtven, Valerie A. Smith, Katherine E.M. Miller, Theodore S.Z. Berkowitz, Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Tyler Hein, Lauren S. Penney, Kelli D. Allen, Margaret Kabat, Timothy Jobin, S. Nicole Hastings

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Disabled Veterans commonly experience pain. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) provides training, a stipend, and services to family caregivers of eligible Veterans to support their caregiving role. We compared ascertainment of veteran pain and pain treatment through health care encounters and medications (pain indicators) of participants (treated group) and non-participants (comparison group) using inverse probability treatment weights. Modeled results show that the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator in the first year post-application was higher than that pre-application for both groups. However, the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator was substantially higher in the treatment group: 76.1% versus 63.9% in the comparison group (p <.001). Over time, the proportion of Veterans with any pain indicator fell and group differences lessened. However, differences persisted through 8 years post-application (p <.001). PCAFC caregivers appear to help Veterans engage in pain treatment at higher rates than caregivers not in PCAFC.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	107-121
Number of pages	15
Journal	Medical Care Research and Review
Volume	81
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10775587231210026
State	Published - Apr 2024
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

caregiver support policy
chronic pain
family caregivers
informal care
veterans

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health Policy

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10.1177/10775587231210026

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@article{49340c9920204819babdf9f320e0706e,

title = "Comprehensive Caregiver Supports and Ascertainment and Treatment of Veteran Pain",

abstract = "Disabled Veterans commonly experience pain. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) provides training, a stipend, and services to family caregivers of eligible Veterans to support their caregiving role. We compared ascertainment of veteran pain and pain treatment through health care encounters and medications (pain indicators) of participants (treated group) and non-participants (comparison group) using inverse probability treatment weights. Modeled results show that the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator in the first year post-application was higher than that pre-application for both groups. However, the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator was substantially higher in the treatment group: 76.1% versus 63.9% in the comparison group (p <.001). Over time, the proportion of Veterans with any pain indicator fell and group differences lessened. However, differences persisted through 8 years post-application (p <.001). PCAFC caregivers appear to help Veterans engage in pain treatment at higher rates than caregivers not in PCAFC.",

keywords = "caregiver support policy, chronic pain, family caregivers, informal care, veterans",

author = "{Van Houtven}, {Courtney H.} and Smith, {Valerie A.} and Miller, {Katherine E.M.} and Berkowitz, {Theodore S.Z.} and Megan Shepherd-Banigan and Tyler Hein and Penney, {Lauren S.} and Allen, {Kelli D.} and Margaret Kabat and Timothy Jobin and Hastings, {S. Nicole}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2023.",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1177/10775587231210026",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "81",

pages = "107--121",

journal = "Medical Care Research and Review",

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T1 - Comprehensive Caregiver Supports and Ascertainment and Treatment of Veteran Pain

AU - Van Houtven, Courtney H.

AU - Smith, Valerie A.

AU - Miller, Katherine E.M.

AU - Berkowitz, Theodore S.Z.

AU - Shepherd-Banigan, Megan

AU - Hein, Tyler

AU - Penney, Lauren S.

AU - Allen, Kelli D.

AU - Kabat, Margaret

AU - Jobin, Timothy

AU - Hastings, S. Nicole

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - Disabled Veterans commonly experience pain. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) provides training, a stipend, and services to family caregivers of eligible Veterans to support their caregiving role. We compared ascertainment of veteran pain and pain treatment through health care encounters and medications (pain indicators) of participants (treated group) and non-participants (comparison group) using inverse probability treatment weights. Modeled results show that the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator in the first year post-application was higher than that pre-application for both groups. However, the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator was substantially higher in the treatment group: 76.1% versus 63.9% in the comparison group (p <.001). Over time, the proportion of Veterans with any pain indicator fell and group differences lessened. However, differences persisted through 8 years post-application (p <.001). PCAFC caregivers appear to help Veterans engage in pain treatment at higher rates than caregivers not in PCAFC.

AB - Disabled Veterans commonly experience pain. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) provides training, a stipend, and services to family caregivers of eligible Veterans to support their caregiving role. We compared ascertainment of veteran pain and pain treatment through health care encounters and medications (pain indicators) of participants (treated group) and non-participants (comparison group) using inverse probability treatment weights. Modeled results show that the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator in the first year post-application was higher than that pre-application for both groups. However, the proportion of Veterans with a pain indicator was substantially higher in the treatment group: 76.1% versus 63.9% in the comparison group (p <.001). Over time, the proportion of Veterans with any pain indicator fell and group differences lessened. However, differences persisted through 8 years post-application (p <.001). PCAFC caregivers appear to help Veterans engage in pain treatment at higher rates than caregivers not in PCAFC.

KW - caregiver support policy

KW - chronic pain

KW - family caregivers

KW - informal care

KW - veterans

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Comprehensive Caregiver Supports and Ascertainment and Treatment of Veteran Pain

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Keywords

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