Referring Physicians,
Thank you for your interest in referring to the Comprehensive Pain Center at OHSU. We are pleased to have the opportunity to share in the care of your patient.
If you have questions or concerns, or want to discuss a referral, please call us at 503.494.PAIN (7246).
Please see the following FAQs and Referral Forms.
Common Questions Referring Providers May Have
Which patient should I send to the Comprehensive Pain Center at OHSU?
The following list represents the type of patients who may benefit from a referral to us.
- Cancer pain
Pain related to cancer or cancer related treatments unresponsive to systemic analgesics. - Specific diagnostic or therapeutic procedure/technology
Rationale: Clarify presence of surgical problem or as an alternative treatment to surgery. Examples: Diagnostic Sympathetic Blockade, Discography, Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (Annuloplasty or IDET), Intrathecal Medication Delivery, Nerve Root Injection, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection. - Resistant angina/and or pain related peripheral vascular disease - Emerging evidence that Spinal Cord Stimulation is an effective treatment in resistant cases.
- Back and leg Pain
Subacute (Pain < 3months) - Back or leg pain less than 3 months' duration that has failed conservative therapy (medications and physical therapy) with no evidence of improvement. The goal is to prevent surgical treatment.
Chronic (Pain > 3 months) - Back or leg pain greater than 3 months' duration that has failed conservative therapy. Felt not to be a surgical candidate. Pain limits function. Primarily back pain with evidence of facet or disc etiology or persistent radiculopathy. Many of these patients will have failed trials of systemic opioids and have undergone evaluations by specialists such as neurosurgeons, orthopedists, or neurologists. - Neuropathic pain - Acute, early treatment may prevent development of chronicity or effective treatments of established pain can decrease impact of debilitating Pain. Examples: herpes zoster, post herpetic neuralgia, peripheral nerve injury, complex regional pain syndrome (RSD), peripheral neuropathy, post surgical nerve injury.
- Diagnostic evaluation - Pain of uncertain etiology unrelated to substance abuse or psychiatric illness.
- Consult only - Treatment recommendations including medical management for ongoing chronic pain. This could include consult visits to ensure compliance with the Oregon Intractable Pain Act.
What services does the Comprehensive Pain Center provide?
We offer a range of services by a team of physicians, psychologists, and physical therapists. The first visit is typically a consult, followed by a multidisciplinary treatment plan. Please see more information on these services here.
Can I send a patient to you for a specific procedure or treatment that I have in mind?
Yes. You can be specific about what type of treatment you are hoping for, and we can better meet your expectations and make the patient's visit more meaningful. For example, you may send a patient to us for a consult and recommendations only, or to hear about treatment or procedure options, or for services from our whole team.
Do I need to send you the patient's records?
Yes. We need to see all evaluations by other physicians and any tests done for the pain condition. If these notes are not already in the OHSU LCR, please fax them to us at (503) 494-7635.
What if I have an urgent referral?
If you have a patient with pain related to cancer or an acute condition, or if they need to be seen more quickly, please call us at 503.494.PAIN (7246). You may also page the Acute Pain Service at pager 11707.
Referral Forms
To refer your patient
Please print out the form, fill in, and fax back to us at 503.494.7635.
Please include relevant clinic notes and diagnostic study results.
If you are an OHSU Provider, you may instead complete an Online Referral through the SMS/A2K system
Please call us with any questions you may have about referring to us 503.494.PAIN (7246)
