2009 Annual Giving Report

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Dear Colleague,

If you suffered from chronic pain, would you receive adequate medication to manage your discomfort? The answer may be influenced by your racial background or your gender.

That's the conclusion of a new study by the University of Michigan Health System, published in the August issue of The Journal of Pain. The results show that black patients are prescribed fewer pain medications, and women receive weaker doses from their primary care doctors.

Funded by the Aetna Foundation, the study is part of our continuing efforts to understand the causes of health and health care disparities among different racial and ethnic groups and find solutions to ensure health care equity.

Carmen R. Green, M.D., the lead author of the study, points to the need to support successful primary care interventions since most patients seek chronic pain relief from their primary care physician. There are many options for successful pain management, she notes, yet many patients continue to suffer unnecessarily, risking depression, disability and sleep disturbances, as well as an inability to work or take care of their families.

We hope you will take the opportunity to learn more about Dr. Green's important work.

Best Regards,

Anne C. Beal, M.D., M.P.H.
President
Aetna Foundation, Inc.