18 research outputs found
Les traitements de substitution aux opiacés en médecine générale : les appropriations d'une politique publique
French legislation allows any physician to prescribe Subutex. Consequently, general practitioners are key actors of a public policy related to drug use: providing opiate substitution treatments (OST). This thesis aims to understand how general practice copes with this prerogative. Appropriation of OST by general practitioners comes at a collective level â how can this mission be assumed by this professional group? â, and also at an interactional level â how does an opiate addicted person become the patient of a general practitioner? The issue of appropriating a public policy is related to that of acquisition of patient status for socially stigmatized persons, who are, at the same time, the subjects of a penal policy. Our qualitative study (interviews and observations) shows that general practitioners appropriate OST by a sorting process. Sorting is a heuristic notion to describe practitionersâ adaptations with extension of their prerogatives by public policies: they donât refuse to implement the substitution policy. On the contrary, they try to make it compatible with their values and their professional daily organization. However, selection criteria produce inequalities in access to treatments: every addict doesnât become a patient in the same conditions. Consultations ethnography suggests that the patient status can be acquired while building a relationship with the doctor, in which the prescription is gradually becoming routine. This thesis invites to confront multiple scales and levels of analysis, by studying the implementation of a health policy through the prism of doctor-patient relationship.En autorisant tout mĂ©decin Ă prescrire du Subutex, la lĂ©gislation française dĂ©signe les gĂ©nĂ©ralistes comme acteurs essentiels dâune politique publique liĂ©e aux drogues : la dispensation de traitements de substitution aux opiacĂ©s (TSO). Cette thĂšse vise Ă comprendre comment la mĂ©decine gĂ©nĂ©rale compose avec cette prĂ©rogative. Lâappropriation des TSO par les gĂ©nĂ©ralistes se dĂ©cline Ă un niveau collectif â Ă quelles conditions cette mission peut-elle ĂȘtre assumĂ©e par ce groupe professionnel ? â, et sur le plan interactionnel â comment une personne dĂ©pendante devient-elle le patient dâun gĂ©nĂ©raliste ? La question de lâappropriation dâune politique publique rejoint donc celle de lâacquisition du statut de "patients" pour des individus socialement stigmatisĂ©s, relevant parallĂšlement dâune politique pĂ©nale. Ce travail, fondĂ© sur des entretiens et observations de consultations, montre que les gĂ©nĂ©ralistes sâapproprient les TSO au moyen dâun processus de tri des patients et des tĂąches accomplies. Loin de manifester un refus de mettre en Ćuvre la politique substitutive, le tri vise Ă la rendre compatible avec les valeurs et modes dâorganisation propres Ă la mĂ©decine gĂ©nĂ©rale. Cependant, les critĂšres de sĂ©lection produisent des inĂ©galitĂ©s dâaccĂšs aux traitements : tous les "toxicomanes" ne deviennent pas des patients dans les mĂȘmes conditions. Lâethnographie des consultations suggĂšre que le statut de patient sâacquiert au cours de la construction d'une relation oĂč la prescription devient progressivement routiniĂšre. Cette thĂšse invite Ă confronter plusieurs Ă©chelles dâanalyse, en envisageant la mise en Ćuvre dâune politique de santĂ© au prisme des interactions mĂ©decin-patient
Composer avec le particulier
Ă partir du rĂ©cit dâune expĂ©rience de terrain en socio-anthropologie de la santĂ©, cet article propose une rĂ©flexion sur la place, dans une recherche, de matĂ©riaux empiriques pouvant ĂȘtre perçus comme atypiques, par le chercheur et/ou par les acteurs de terrain. Alors quâils peuvent difficilement faire lâobjet dâune montĂ©e en gĂ©nĂ©ralitĂ©, ils interpellent le chercheur et sâavĂšrent quelquefois indispensables pour la comprĂ©hension dâun phĂ©nomĂšne. DĂšs lors, quel sort leur rĂ©server dans la conduite de lâenquĂȘte et lâanalyse des donnĂ©es ? Lâarticle montre en quoi le particulier peut avoir une dimension heuristique, tout en sâinterrogeant sur les solutions possibles pour intĂ©grer de tels matĂ©riaux au sein dâune analyse Ă portĂ©e gĂ©nĂ©rale. Lâobjectif est dâinterroger le rapport que les chercheurs entretiennent avec leur enquĂȘte, et de maniĂšre plus large, le rapport entre les chercheurs et le processus de production de savoirs en sciences sociales.This paper comes from a field experience in the domain of socio-anthropology of health. It aims to consider the treatment of atypical empirical materials, as categorized by social scientists and/or field actors. These materials can barely be subjects to generalization. However, they are sometimes critical in the process of understanding a social phenomenon. How can we deal with them during the conduct of the research and the data analysis process? This article shows how the âparticularâ can have a heuristic dimension. It also discusses the solutions to integrate such materials into a general scope analysis. It intends to raise the issue of relations between researchers and their inquiries, and, more widely, between researchers and the knowledge production process in social sciences.A partir del relato de una experiencia empĂrica en socio-antropologĂa de la salud, este artĂculo ofrece una reflexiĂłn sobre la integraciĂłn, en un labor de investigaciĂłn, de los materiales que parecen atĂpicos tan al buscador como a los actores del campo. Mientras que se hace difĂcil producir una generalizaciĂłn a partir de este tipo de materiales, se revelan sin embargo indispensables para entender un fenĂłmeno social. ÂżAsĂ, como se les puede restituir en el proceso de la encuesta empĂrica y en el anĂĄlisis de los datos? El articulo muestra cĂłmo lo «particular» puede ser heurĂstico, y plantea la cuestiĂłn de las soluciones posibles para integrar eses materiales en un anĂĄlisis general. El objetivo es de interrogarse sobre la relaciĂłn entre los buscadores y sus encuestas, y, de manera mĂĄs general, sobre la relaciĂłn entre los buscadores y el proceso de producciĂłn de conocimientos en ciencias sociales
Opiate substitution treatments in general practice : the appropriations of a public policy
En autorisant tout mĂ©decin Ă prescrire du Subutex, la lĂ©gislation française dĂ©signe les gĂ©nĂ©ralistes comme acteurs essentiels dâune politique publique liĂ©e aux drogues : la dispensation de traitements de substitution aux opiacĂ©s (TSO). Cette thĂšse vise Ă comprendre comment la mĂ©decine gĂ©nĂ©rale compose avec cette prĂ©rogative. Lâappropriation des TSO par les gĂ©nĂ©ralistes se dĂ©cline Ă un niveau collectif â Ă quelles conditions cette mission peut-elle ĂȘtre assumĂ©e par ce groupe professionnel ? â, et sur le plan interactionnel â comment une personne dĂ©pendante devient-elle le patient dâun gĂ©nĂ©raliste ? La question de lâappropriation dâune politique publique rejoint donc celle de lâacquisition du statut de "patients" pour des individus socialement stigmatisĂ©s, relevant parallĂšlement dâune politique pĂ©nale. Ce travail, fondĂ© sur des entretiens et observations de consultations, montre que les gĂ©nĂ©ralistes sâapproprient les TSO au moyen dâun processus de tri des patients et des tĂąches accomplies. Loin de manifester un refus de mettre en Ćuvre la politique substitutive, le tri vise Ă la rendre compatible avec les valeurs et modes dâorganisation propres Ă la mĂ©decine gĂ©nĂ©rale. Cependant, les critĂšres de sĂ©lection produisent des inĂ©galitĂ©s dâaccĂšs aux traitements : tous les "toxicomanes" ne deviennent pas des patients dans les mĂȘmes conditions. Lâethnographie des consultations suggĂšre que le statut de patient sâacquiert au cours de la construction d'une relation oĂč la prescription devient progressivement routiniĂšre. Cette thĂšse invite Ă confronter plusieurs Ă©chelles dâanalyse, en envisageant la mise en Ćuvre dâune politique de santĂ© au prisme des interactions mĂ©decin-patient.French legislation allows any physician to prescribe Subutex. Consequently, general practitioners are key actors of a public policy related to drug use: providing opiate substitution treatments (OST). This thesis aims to understand how general practice copes with this prerogative. Appropriation of OST by general practitioners comes at a collective level â how can this mission be assumed by this professional group? â, and also at an interactional level â how does an opiate addicted person become the patient of a general practitioner? The issue of appropriating a public policy is related to that of acquisition of patient status for socially stigmatized persons, who are, at the same time, the subjects of a penal policy. Our qualitative study (interviews and observations) shows that general practitioners appropriate OST by a sorting process. Sorting is a heuristic notion to describe practitionersâ adaptations with extension of their prerogatives by public policies: they donât refuse to implement the substitution policy. On the contrary, they try to make it compatible with their values and their professional daily organization. However, selection criteria produce inequalities in access to treatments: every addict doesnât become a patient in the same conditions. Consultations ethnography suggests that the patient status can be acquired while building a relationship with the doctor, in which the prescription is gradually becoming routine. This thesis invites to confront multiple scales and levels of analysis, by studying the implementation of a health policy through the prism of doctor-patient relationship
La dĂ©finition dâun trouble Ă la croisĂ©e de plusieurs mondes : controverses et compromis autour des traitements de substitution aux opiacĂ©s
En analysant les controverses passĂ©es et actuelles autour des traitements de substitution aux opiacĂ©s en France, cet article montre comment plusieurs dĂ©finitions dâun mĂȘme « trouble » entrent en opposition dĂšs lors quâil est question dây rĂ©pondre par un mĂ©dicament. La toxicomanie, lâusage de drogues et lâaddiction, sâils dĂ©signent la mĂȘme pratique, correspondent Ă des rĂ©fĂ©rentiels distincts, dont chacun est portĂ© par un groupe dâacteurs qui dĂ©fend une maniĂšre spĂ©cifique de « soigner ». Lâintroduction de la substitution aux opiacĂ©s, Ă la croisĂ©e de la rĂ©duction des risques et de la mĂ©dicalisation de lâaddiction, expose au grand jour les conflits de dĂ©finition. Pourtant, les trois rĂ©fĂ©rentiels cohabitent aujourd'hui dans les politiques et les pratiques soignantes. Ils ont Ă©tĂ© conciliĂ©s Ă lâaide dâune rhĂ©torique de complĂ©mentaritĂ©. Mais malgrĂ© cette uniformisation de façade, des contradictions persistent. Elles se manifestent, notamment, dans une incertitude rĂ©currente des soignants pour statuer sur les objectifs des traitements de substitution, ce qui suscite parfois des interrogations sur la pertinence mĂȘme de leur travail. Ă lâaide dâun matĂ©riau empirique composĂ© de documents dâarchives, dâentretiens auprĂšs de professionnels et de patients, ainsi que dâobservations de consultations mĂ©dicales, nous envisagerons ces questions Ă travers trois niveaux dâanalyse : lâĂ©volution des politiques publiques, la mise en place des traitements de substitution dans un dispositif de soin local dans une ville française, et enfin les pratiques quotidiennes dâun acteur chargĂ© de dispenser les traitements, le mĂ©decin gĂ©nĂ©raliste.By analyzing past and current controversies about opiate substitution treatments in France, this article shows that plurality of the definitions of the same âdisorderâ become contradictory when a drug is supposed to solve the problem. Although Toxicomanie, drug use, and addiction might imply the same practice, they refer to different methods, each of which is supported by a professional group who defend a specific way to ââcureââ or ââtake careââ. The introduction of opiate substitution treatments at the crossroads of harm reduction and medicalization of addiction, reveals the conflicts between definitions. Nowadays, however, these three definitions coexist within public policies and professional practices. They have been reunited by a rhetoric of complementarity. But despite this apparent uniformity, contradictions persist. These contradictions have become obvious considering professionalsâ recurring uncertainty to define the objectives of substitution treatments. Moreover, this sometimes raises questions about the relevance of their work. Using an empirical material composed by archives, interviews with professionals and patients, as well as medical consultations observations, we will consider these issues through three levels of analysis: the evolution of public policies, the local implementation of substitution treatments in a french city, and finally the daily practices of a social actor providing treatments, the general practitioner
LâautomĂ©dication chez les usagers de drogues : de la constitution de savoirs expĂ©rientiels Ă leur confrontation aux mĂ©decins
Little is known in social science about illicit drug usersâ perspective on the therapeutic dimension of substance use. Based on a qualitative study, this article examines drug usersâ self-medication practices, and the attitude of general practitioners towards them. The availability of opioid substitution treatments on the black market allows people to use them to self-medicate heroin withdrawal symptoms. Drug users also use a wide range of substances in order to relieve common health problems (e.g., flu, pain, or anxiety). Through self-experimentation and peer-to-peer exchange, they develop experiential knowledge about substances, created and transmitted within the social world of illicit drugs. But this knowledge is not always recognized as such by physicians who often interpret drug usersâ self-medication practices as misuse or non-compliance
LâautomĂ©dication chez les usagers de drogues : de la constitution de savoirs expĂ©rientiels Ă leur confrontation aux mĂ©decins
Little is known in social science about illicit drug usersâ perspective on the therapeutic dimension of substance use. Based on a qualitative study, this article examines drug usersâ self-medication practices, and the attitude of general practitioners towards them. The availability of opioid substitution treatments on the black market allows people to use them to self-medicate heroin withdrawal symptoms. Drug users also use a wide range of substances in order to relieve common health problems (e.g., flu, pain, or anxiety). Through self-experimentation and peer-to-peer exchange, they develop experiential knowledge about substances, created and transmitted within the social world of illicit drugs. But this knowledge is not always recognized as such by physicians who often interpret drug usersâ self-medication practices as misuse or non-compliance
La douleur chez les personnes utilisatrices de drogues : état des connaissances et enjeux socio-anthropologiques
En réponse à la crise des opioïdes qui sévit en Amérique du Nord, plusieurs
autoritĂ©s sanitaires ont rĂ©cemment dĂ©conseillĂ© la prescription dâanalgĂ©siques opioĂŻdes aux
personnes ayant un historique dâutilisation de substances. IdentifiĂ©es comme une population
à risque de dépendance et de décÚs liés aux opioïdes, les personnes utilisatrices de drogues
(PUD) souffrant de douleurs semblent particuliÚrement exposées à des difficultés de prise en
charge. Une synthĂšse des connaissances sur les problĂšmes de douleur chez les PUD apparait
donc hautement nĂ©cessaire dans le contexte actuel. Lâobjectif de cet article est de recenser
et discuter la littérature disponible au sujet de (1) la prévalence de la douleur physique
aiguë et chronique chez les PUD, (2) la prise en charge de leurs douleurs dans les services
de santĂ©, et (3) leurs pratiques dâautomĂ©dication de la douleur. Afin dâidentifier les
enjeux de société et de santé publique soulevés par la douleur des PUD, nous mobilisons
Ă©galement des Ă©tudes sociologiques et anthropologiques sur lâexpĂ©rience de la douleur en
population générale. Ce travail souligne les difficultés de reconnaissance de la douleur des
PUD par les professionnels de santé, tout en interrogeant les liens entre les barriÚres
dâaccĂšs des PUD Ă une prise en charge mĂ©dicale et leurs pratiques dâautomĂ©dication de la
douleur. En donnant lâoccasion dâenvisager la douleur des PUD en tant que phĂ©nomĂšne
collectif sur les plans populationnel et sociologique, cet article ouvre de nouvelles pistes
pour la recherche, lâintervention auprĂšs de PUD souffrant de douleurs, ainsi que
lâorientation des politiques de santĂ© en la matiĂšre.As a response to the current opioid crisis in North America, several health
authorities have recommended not to prescribe opioid painkillers to people with a history of
substance use. People who use drugs (PWUD) suffering from chronic pain are identified as a
population at risk of opioid-related mortality and addiction. As such, they are likely to
experience barriers of access to pain management. In this context, a knowledge synthesis
about chronic pain in PWUD is highly needed. This article aims at identifying and discussing
the available literature pertaining to (1) the prevalence of acute and chronic physical pain
among PWUD, (2) the management of their pain in health services, and (3) their experience
with self-medication of pain. To identify the intermingling social and public health issues
raised by PWUDâs pain, we propose to make a link between epidemiological studies of PWUDâs
pain and socio-anthropological studies of pain experience in the general population. This
review shows that caregivers hardly acknowledge the existence of PWUDâs pain. We also
examine the links between PWUDâs self-medication of pain and their barriers of access to
medical pain management. By offering the opportunity to consider PWUDâs pain as a collective
phenomenon at populational and sociological levels, this article opens new avenues for
research, intervention with PWUD suffering from pain, and health policies in this
area.En respuesta a la âcrisis de los opioidesâ que hace estragos en AmĂ©rica del Norte,
numerosas autoridades sanitarias han desaconsejado Ășltimamente la prescripciĂłn de opioides
para el dolor en los casos de las personas que tienen una historia de abuso de sustancias.
Identificadas como poblaciĂłn a riesgo desde el punto de vista de la dependencia y de la
mortalidad relacionada con los opioides, estas personas consumidoras de drogas que sufren
dolor parecen particularmente expuestas a dificultades relacionadas con la obtenciĂłn de
tratamiento para el dolor. Una sĂntesis de los conocimientos sobre los problemas de dolor en
estas personas se hace por lo tanto muy necesaria en el contexto actual. El objetivo de este
artĂculo es el de recensar y discutir la bibliografĂa disponible sobre lo siguiente: 1) la
prevalencia del dolor fĂsico agudo y crĂłnico entre las personas que consumen drogas, 2) el
tratamiento de sus dolores en los servicios de salud y 3) las prĂĄcticas de automedicaciĂłn
para el dolor de estas personas. Con el fin de identificar las cuestiones de sociedad y de
salud pĂșblica que plantea el dolor de las personas consumidoras de drogas, apelamos
igualmente a estudios sociolĂłgicos y antropolĂłgicos sobre la experiencia del dolor en la
poblaciĂłn en general. Este trabajo destaca las dificultades que tienen los profesionales de
la salud para reconocer el dolor entre quienes consumen drogas y averigua al mismo tiempo
los vĂnculos entre las barreras que experimentan estas personas consumidoras en el acceso al
tratamiento y sus prĂĄcticas de automedicaciĂłn para el dolor. Al ofrecer la ocasiĂłn de
considerar el dolor de los consumidores de drogas como fenĂłmeno colectivo en los planos
poblacional y sociolĂłgico, este artĂculo abre nuevas pistas para la investigaciĂłn, la
intervenciĂłn ante las personas consumidoras que sufren dolores y la orientaciĂłn de las
polĂticas de salud en la materia
Predictors of long-term opioid effectiveness in chronic non-cancer pain patients attending multidisciplinary pain treatment clinics : a Quebec pain registry study
Objective: This study aimed at identifying characteristics of individuals who are most likely to
benefit from long-term opioid therapy in terms of reduction in pain severity and improved mental
health-related quality of life (mQoL) without considering potential risks.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 116 patients (age=51.3 ±12.5 years,
male=42.2%) enrolled in the Quebec Pain Registry between 2008 and 2011 and who initiated
opioid therapy after their first appointment in a multidisciplinary pain clinic and persisted with
this treatment for at least 12 months. Clinically significant improvement was defined as a 2-point
decrease on the PEG 0-10 Scale of pain severity at 12-month follow-up and a 10-point increase
on the SF-12v2 Mental Health-Related Quality of Life Summary Scale which corresponds to one
standard deviation of the mean in the general population (Mean = 50, SD = 10).
Results: Clinically significant reduction in pain severity was observed in 26.7% of patients while
improvement in mQoL was reported by 20.2% of patients on long-term opioid therapy. Older
age (OR=1.04 (95% CI: 1.0 â 1.08), p=0.032) and alcohol or drug problems (OR=0.26 (95% CI:
0.07 â 0.96), p=0.044) were weakly associated with pain severity at 12-month follow-up.
Baseline higher pain severity (OR=0.62 (95% CI: 0.43 â 0.91), p=0.014) and baseline higher
mQoL (OR=0.89 (95% CI: 0.83 â 0.95), p=0.001) were associated with non-improvement in
mQoL.
Conclusion: The analysis failed to identify clinically meaningful predictors of opioid therapy
effectiveness making it difficult to inform clinicians about which CNCP patients are most likely
to benefit from long-term opioid therapy
Chronic Pain Experience and Management among People Who Use Illicit Drugs: A Qualitative Study in Montreal (QC)
Introduction/Aim: Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is both highly prevalent and undertreated among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). To address the current opioid crisis, several health authorities have produced guidelines recommending not to prescribe opioid painkillers to patients with substance abuse risk factors. This could jeopardize pain relief for PWUD suffering from CNCP. This study aims to describe: (1) PWUDâs daily CNCP experiences; (2) barriers of access to adequate CNCP management for PWUD in the opioid crisis context; (3) PWUDâs stated needs for improving their CNCP and healthcare experiences. Methods: This was a qualitative study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 PWUD (illicit opioids and/or cocaine) suffering from CNCP (â„ 3Â months) recruited in downtown Montreal (2017/07 to 2018/05). Interviews were analyzed using Grounded Theory method. Results: Participants faced multiple health problems (e.g. HIV, hepatitis C) and social issues (e.g. homelessness, precarious employment) concomitantly with CNCP and substance use. These problems contributed to heighten their pain intensity. Physiciansâ increased defiance against PWUD in the opioid crisis context led to major barriers for participantsâ pain management. Participants experienced stigma and discrimination in the healthcare system. They wished they could access non-pharmacological therapies (e.g. physiotherapy) as alternatives to opioids, but these therapies were unaffordable. Some participants reported self-medicating their CNCP with street drugs when no other solution was available. Discussion/Conclusions: PWUD suffering from CNCP are a population with several comorbidities and high health care needs. Public policies should be revisited to improve access to appropriate CNCP management for this population
The Stressful characteristics of pain that drive you N.U.T.S. : a qualitative exploration of a stress model to understand the chronic pain experience
Objective: Despite decades of research on the identification of specific characteristics of situations that trigger a physiological stress response (novelty, unpredictability, threat to the ego, and sense of low control [NUTS]), no integrative research has examined the validity of this framework applied to pain experiences. This study aimed to 1) explore the stressful characteristics of pain among individuals living with chronic pain and 2) examine whether the NUTS framework comprehensively captures the stressful nature of pain.
Subjects: Participants were 41 adult participants living with chronic pain.
Methods: Interviews in six focus groups were conducted in French using a semistructured interview guide. Participants first discussed how pain is stressful. Then, they were introduced to the NUTS framework and commented on the extent to which it captured their experience. The verbatim transcriptions of interviews were reviewed using reflexive thematic analysis. Analyses were conducted in French; quotes and themes were translated into English by a professional translator.
Results: The pain-NUTS framework adequately captured participants' experiences. Multiple aspects of pain (pain intensity fluctuations, pain flare-up duration, pain quality and location, functional limitations, diagnosis and treatment) were associated with one or more stress-inducing characteristics. In addition, a second layer of meaning emerged in the context of chronic pain that provided contextual information regarding when, how, and why pain became more or less stressful.
Conclusions: The NUTS characteristics seem to offer a comprehensive framework to understand how pain and its context of chronicity can be a source of stress. This study provides preliminary support for the pain-NUTS framework to allow the formal integration of pain and stress researc