When consideration of a spinal cord stimulator as a tool to manage chronic pain, one of the important steps to determining patient appropriateness is completion of a psychological evaluation. Many factors have been evaluated for how they may influence patient outcomes, including procedure knowledge and expectations, social supports, coping resources, current and previous pain management tools, and emotion related symptoms. As a result, insurance companies often require patients to complete psychological screening by a licensed psychologist as part of a patient’s pre-surgical work up.
Pre-surgical SCS evaluations are offered by Sarah Simpson PhD in our Glen Burnie location. A diagnostic interview and standardized assessment tools are used to examine psychosocial factors known to impact SCS efficacy, identify patient strengths, and provide recommendations to the patient’s physician.