"It is well-documented that unrelieved pain continues to be a serious public health problem for the general population in the United States.1-8 This issue is particularly salient for children,9-14 the elderly,15-19 people of racial and ethnic subgroups,20-24 people with developmental disabilities,25;26 people in the military or military veterans27-30 as well as for those with diseases such as cancer,31-36 HIV/AIDS,37-40 or sickle-cell disease.41-43 Clinical experience has demonstrated that adequate pain management leads to enhanced functioning and quality of life, while uncontrolled severe pain contributes to disability and despair.4;44"
Pain & Policy Studies Group, "Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy: A Progress Report Card (CY 2013)" (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, July 2014), p. 10.
