Chronic Pain in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Study Examining Patient Characteristics and Reasons for Presentations

Table 1

Characteristics of 58 patients who visited the emergency department for chronic pain.

Characteristics	Mean	SD
Age (years)	46.5	16.9
	N	%
Gender
Male	20	34.5
Female	38	65.5
Marital status
Single (never married)	17	29.3
Single (separated or divorced)	8	13.8
Married or living with partner	31	53.4
Widowed	2	3.4
Ethnicity
Caucasian	46	79.3
First Nations	1	1.7
Asian	2	3.4
African	3	5.2
Other	6	10.3
Education level
Less than grade 12	10	17.2
High school diploma	7	12.1
Some college or university	16	27.6
College or university degree	17	29.3
Postgrad/professional degree	8	13.8
Number of dependents
0	2	3.4
1	13	22.4
2	17	29.3
3	9	15.5
4 or more	12	20.7
Family income
Less than $20,000	14	24.1
$20,000–$29,999	3	5.2
$30,000–$49,999	5	8.6
$50,000–$69,999	7	12.1
$70,000 or more	14	24.1
Did not say	15	25.9
Employment status before pain
Full time	30	51.7
Part time	3	5.2
Retired	10	17.2
Sick leave/disability	4	6.9
Other	11	19.0
Current employment status
Full time	12	20.7
Part time	2	3.4
Retired	11	19.0
Sick leave/disability	24	41.4
Other	9	15.4
Insurance coverage
None	13	22.4
Government	14	24.1
Third party	31	53.4