Chronic pain and cardiovascular disease prevention in primary care: a review of Australian primary health network needs assessments

Objective Chronic pain and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a high disease burden. This research aimed to understand whether Australian primary health networks (PHNs) are recognising the need for the prevention of these conditions by investigating what local health and service issues have been identified. Methods Separate sets of needs assessments were analysed for chronic pain and CVD for all 31 PHNs using a document analysis approach. Framework analysis was undertaken to ascertain the types of health and service issues, prevention-related issues and supporting data sources identified, as well as to quantify the number of PHNs identifying these issues. Results Fewer PHNs identified health issues for chronic pain (n = 13) compared with CVD (n = 30), with the most common being disease prevalence and burden supported by National Health Survey data. Service issues were identified by fewer than half the PHNs (n = 13 for each disease), which were largely informed by stakeholder consultation and related to service integration, service accessibility and health professional training. Prevention-related issues were frequently identified for CVD (n = 26), but not chronic pain (n = 3). Conclusions This paper highlights the need for a greater focus on chronic pain- and CVD-related issues by PHNs. This could be supported nationally by recognising chronic pain and risk factors in national datasets and PHN performance frameworks, and locally via greater stakeholder consultation to inform PHN population health planning. What is known about the topic? Chronic pain and CVD are the two leading causes of total disease burden in Australia. PHNs are well positioned to address prevention locally through population health planning, supporting primary healthcare providers, health care integration and coordination and commissioning necessary services. What does this paper add? This paper highlights gaps in data availability, the proportion of PHNs identifying local service issues for both chronic pain and CVD and health- and prevention-related issues for chronic pain. What are the implications for practitioners? Although PHNs are constrained by government priorities and funding, greater stakeholder consultation is one potentially promising strategy to overcome local data gaps to identifying and prioritising chronic pain and CVD prevention.