The objective of the P.A.I.N. 8 Consensus was to produce a clinical pathway which general practitioners (GPs) can use to devise a care plan for a patient with cancer pain during a 10-minute consultation. The basic format of the pathway is illustrated below.

Basic structure of the clinical pathway

Each stage (e.g. History, Examination and Investigation) has a checklist to help the general practitioner make "educated guesses" and decide how patients should progress along the pathway. Red flags are factors which indicate that the patient should leave the clinical pathway and be referred to a specialist. Ultimately, the pathway should define the optimal care plan and outcome for each patient, based upon clinical evidence and individual experience.

The results of the workshop summarised in the "Brussels Consensus" are online available.