Kimberly A. Hepner Knihy

Pain conditions are the leading cause of disability among active-duty service members. RAND researchers conducted an assessment of outpatient care for acute and chronic pain, including opioid prescribing, delivered by the Military Health System (MHS). This report offers the most comprehensive examination to date of the quality and safety of pain care in the MHS and its alignment with evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

The authors evaluated access and quality of behavioral health care provided to service members who reside remotely from a military treatment facility and compared their care with that received by non-remote personnel.