• Pain Med · Dec 2016

    Randomized Controlled Trial

    Does a Brief Educational Session Produce Positive Change for Individuals Waiting for Tertiary Chronic Pain Services?

    • Anne L J Burke, Linley A Denson, and Jane L Mathias.
    • *Pain Management Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia a.burke@sa.gov.au.
    • Pain Med. 2016 Dec 1; 17 (12): 2203-2217.

    ObjectivesTo examine: 1) whether a single brief pre-clinic educational session improved the well-being and quality of life of individuals entering the wait-list for a tertiary chronic pain (CP) service; and 2) the impact of waiting for services on these outcomes.MethodsParticipants were 346 adults, with basic English skills and non-urgent triage codes, who were recruited on referral to a tertiary Australian metropolitan CP unit. Participants were randomized across two conditions: "treatment as usual" (normal wait-list) and "experimental" (normal wait-list plus a 3-hour CP educational session). The educational session encouraged self-management and life engagement despite pain. Multiple outcomes (pain acceptance, pain-related interference, psychological distress, health care utilization [frequency, types], quality of life, health knowledge/beliefs), as well as pain severity and symptom exaggeration, were assessed at intake and again at 2 weeks and 6 months post-educational session (or equivalent for the wait-list group).ResultsSatisfaction with the educational session was moderate-to-high, but attendance was not associated with improved outcomes. At 2 weeks, all study participants reported significant improvements in pain acceptance (willingness, overall acceptance), health care utilization (frequency) and quality of life (physical), which were maintained/enhanced at 6 months. Use of psychological and physical therapies increased significantly by 6 months. There was no functional deterioration while wait-listed.ConclusionsAttending a brief pre-clinic education session did not improve function. There was no deterioration in wait-listed participants who agreed to be involved in research and who completed study measures at 2 and 6 months, but referral was associated with short-term functional improvements. This is the first study to link positive change with referral to, rather than treatment by, a tertiary CP service.© 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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