Table 2.
Characteristics of included publications.
| Article | Publication type | Country of focus; World bank income level | Content | Population (Marginalized groups of focus) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akhtar, 2020 (78) | Editorial view | Pakistan; Lower middle | Discusses interventional pain services and shift to telemedicine | Patients with CP who use opioids (Multiple; SES, geographic location, race/ethnicity) |
| Ayad, 2021 (79) | Brief communication | Global (United States, Armenia, Middle Eastern countries, Vietnam, Mexico, India, etc.) with focus on Egypt; Lower middle | Reflections on the burden of CP and the opioid epidemic in developing countries | Patients with CP who use opioids (Multiple; SES, geographic location) |
| Chan, 2020 (80) | Commentary | Singapore; High | Discusses decisions and safeguards made at a tertiary pain center; recommendations to guide decision-making in pain management | Patients with CP who use opioids (Elderly) |
| Cohen, 2020 (9) | Expert opinion | United States; High | Framework for pain practitioners/institutions to balance the often conflicting goals of risk mitigation for healthcare providers, risk mitigation for patients, conservation of resources, and access to pain management services | Patients with CP who use opioids (Multiple; Elderly, Disability) |
| Compton, 2022 (81) | Review | United States; High | Review of pandemic-related stressors on problematic substance and opioid use and how COVID-19 infection and debilitation may worsen experiences of CP | Patients with CP and OUD (SES, geographic location, race/ethnicity) |
| de Moraes, 2021 (82) | Scoping Review | Global (English-speaking countries, Latin countries); Mixed | Recommendations on the workflow and management of patients with CP during the COVID-19 pandemic | Patients with CP who use opioids (N = 13 studies) (Multiple; Race/ethnicity) |
| Dunn, 2021 (83) | Original research | United States; High | RCT; evaluation of feasibility and acceptability of electronic and cellular-enabled pillbox to deliver split-doses of methadone for treatment of OUD among patients with persistent pain | Patients with OUD and persistent pain who receive methadone (N = 25) (Multiple; Race/ethnicity, disability) |
| Edmond, 2021 (84) | Original research | United States; High | Evaluation of adaptations made by interdisciplinary pain team to deliver services virtually, which include (1) individualized assessment of LTOT; (2) reduction or discontinuation of LTOT when benefits no longer outweigh the harms; (3) switch to buprenorphine if difficulty tapering or OUD emerges; (4) optimization of virtual treatment | Patients with CP on LTOT (N = 29) (Race/ethnicity) |
| El-Tallawy, 2020 (85) | Review | United States; High | Review of changes in healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic; provides guidance on pain management and concentrating available resources to help patients with most severe conditions and for most vulnerable groups | Patients with CP who use opioids (Multiple; Elderly) |
| George, 2020 (86) | Original research | Singapore; High | Discusses implementation of integrating a pain center with community healthcare teams to mitigate harmful effects of treatment disruption during the pandemic for vulnerable individuals with CP and comorbid conditions | Vulnerable older patients with CP and multiple comorbidities who use opioids (Multiple; Elderly, disability) |
| Humphreys, 2022 (87) | Review | United States, Canada; High | Empirically grounded analysis of the causes of, and solutions, to the opioid crisis, including proposed domestic solutions and attempts to stop international spread | Patients with CP who use opioids (Multiple; SES, race/ethnicity) |
| Joyce, 2020 (88) | Original research | United States; High | Details the effects of the early-stage COVID-19 pandemic on interventional pain physicians’ decision-making, practice patterns, and mental health | Physicians who work with patients with CP and prescribe opioids (N = 260) (Geographic location, disability [High risk]) |
| Katzman, 2021 (89) | Commentary | United States; High | Reflections on how COVID-19 has highlighted multiple epidemics, including CP, substance use disorder, gun violence, suicide, and loneliness, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities | Patients with CP who use opioids (Multiple) |
| Lee, 2021 (90) | Original research | United States; High | Retrospective, cross-sectional study to assess trends in opioid prescription and nonpharmacologic therapy (e.g., physical therapy, complementary medicine) for pain management during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with patterns in 2019 | Claims data from patients with varying CP diagnoses (N = 21,430,339) (Multiple; SES, race/ethnicity, elderly, disability) |
| Licciardone, 2021a (91) | Original research | United States; High | Pre-post study; Assesses changes in patients’ use of nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments for chronic low back pain and related outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic | Patients with chronic low back pain (N = 476)(Multiple; Race/ethnicity, elderly) |
| Licciardone, 2021b (92) | Original research | United States; High | Pre-post study; Examines how reduced access to care impacted use of recommended nonpharmacological treatments, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioids and clinical outcomes among patients with chronic low back pain | Patients with chronic low back pain (N = 528)(Multiple; Race/ethnicity, elderly, disability) |
| Manchikanti, 2021 (3) | Review | Global (US, Australia, El Salvador, Canada, Uruguay, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, UK) with focus on US; Mostly high | Exploration of opioid and COVID-19 epidemics and improvements needed in access to the management of CP with physical therapy, interventional techniques, appropriate diagnostic modalities, and opioid therapy | Patients with CP who use opioids(Multiple) |
| Morgan, 2021 (93) | Review | United States; High | Multidisciplinary project involving 49 clinic sites designed to implement and evaluate clinic-based interventions to improve pain management, reduce harms from opioid overprescribing, and treatment of OUD during COVID in a predominantly Medicaid population | Patients with CP and OUD (SES; Medicaid, Medicare) |
| Mun, 2021 (94) | Original research | United States; High | Cross-sectional survey assessing impact of COVID-19 on pain severity and management, factors associated with perceived changes in pain severity | Patients with CP (N = 1,453)(Race/ethnicity) |
| Mun, 2022 (95) | Original research | United States; High | Longitudinal 1-year study that examines impact of COVID-19 pandemic on trajectories of pain severity, interference, emotional distress (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms), and opioid misuse behaviors | Patients with CP (N = 1,453; 878; 813 over 3 surveyed periods)(SES, race/ethnicity) |
| Oh et al., 2021 (96) | Original research | South Korea; High | Population-based retrospective cohort study; examined in-hospital mortality rates among patients with musculoskeletal disorders who take pain medications (NSAIDs, strong opioids, weak opioids) and who tested positive for COVID-19 | Patients with musculoskeletal disorders, COVID-19, and identified as long-term opioid users (N = 7,713) (Multiple: SES, geographic location, elderly, disability) |
| Prater, 2020 (97) | Original research | United States; High | Pilot prospective observational study that aims to improve systems on spinal pain treatment within primary medical homes | Underserved patients with chronic spinal pain (N = 35)(SES: Low income and uninsured, race/ethnicity) |
| Rao, 2020 (98) | Commentary | United States; High | Highlights evidence and best practices in telehealth in pain management, including comprehensive and effective opioid management | Patients with CP with opioid therapy(Multiple; Elderly) |
| Shanthanna, 2020 (99) | Expert opinion | Global (United States, Europe); Mixed | Recommendations by expert model for doctors and healthcare professionals to guide practice of CP management during period of crisis | Patients with CP with opioid therapy(Multiple; Elderly) |
| Tuan, 2021 (100) | Original research | United States; High | Retrospective cohort study to assess risk of developing severe clinical outcomes among COVID-19 noncancer patients on LTOT, compared with those without LTOT | Adult patients (N = 418,216) with COVID-19; treated with LTOT for CP (N = 9,558)(Multiple; SES, race/ethnicity, elderly) |
NR, not reported; OUD, opioid use disorder; LTOT, long-term opioid therapy; CP, chronic pain; SES, socioeconomic status.