• Danielle Dresner, Gergen BarnettKatherineKDepartment of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA., Kirsten Resnick, Lance D Laird, and Paula Gardiner.
• Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA danielle.dresner@bmc.org.
• Pain Med. 2016 Jun 1; 17 (6): 1183-1191.

ObjectiveIntegrative Medicine Group Visits (IMGVs) are an 8-week outpatient medical group visit program for chronic pain patients combining mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), integrative medicine, and patient education. The authors conducted a qualitative study with IMGV participants to better understand the effects of IMGVs on patients' health.DesignThis qualitative study enrolled a convenience sample of 19 participants from the parent prospective observational cohort study of IMGVs (n = 65). All participants in the parent study were invited to participate.SettingBoston Medical Center (BMC) is a private, not-for-profit, 496-bed, academic medical center and the largest safety net hospital in New England.SubjectsIndividuals in this study had a diagnosis of chronic pain and/or one or more chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, depression, or metabolic syndrome), had attended ≥1 group visit, and their 8-week session had ended before completing the interview.MethodsThe authors conducted individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed.ResultsParticipants cite gains from IMGVs including improved self-monitoring, self-regulation, and increased mindfulness. The group setting leads patients to feel "not alone" in their health conditions, gain a sense of perspective on their health, and share coping strategies in a supportive network. These improvements in physical and mental health improved clinical outcomes for participants including reductions in pain.ConclusionsGroup visits and integrative medicine both offer some potential solutions in the treatment of chronic pain. Models such as IMGVs can help individuals living with chronic conditions, addressing their emotional and physical health needs.© 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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