Effects of a Pain Education Program for Veterans with Chronic, Noncancer Pain: A Pilot Study. (1st December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cosio, David; Lin, Erica H.
• Is Part Of: Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy. Volume 27:Number 4(2013)
• Page Start: 340
• Page End: 349
• Publication Date: 2013-12-01
• Subjects: Pain -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Analgesia -- Periodicals; Palliative treatment -- Periodicals; Analgesics -- Therapeutic use -- Periodicals; Pain -- drug therapy -- Periodicals; Pain -- prevention & control -- Periodicals; Palliative Care -- Periodicals; Analgesics -- therapeutic use -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.3109/15360288.2013.846953
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1536-0288

Abstract

<abstract> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p>This pilot study examines the effects of a "Pain Education School" developed and implemented in a American Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center using the National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention's step-by-step guidelines in veterans with chronic or persistent, noncancer pain. This study used a quasi-experimental, one-group, pre-/posttest design. A sample of 88 veterans aged 39 to 84 years old who elected to participate in the 12-week pain education program was evaluated. Paired-samples <italic>t</italic>-tests were conducted using an efficacy subset analysis strategy. Veterans who elected to complete the program reported a statistically significant difference in their pre- and posttest measures of pain intensity (<italic>p</italic> = .028), stages of readiness to adopt a self-management approach (<italic>p</italic> = .002), experience of pain (<italic>p</italic> = .000), and depressive symptoms (<italic>p</italic> = .000). However, there was not a statistically significant difference found in pain knowledge (<italic>p</italic> = .790). The current findings provide preliminary evidence that the program may be efficacious, but a randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm these effects. This manuscript encourages other VAs to transfer this low-intensity approach as a means of creating awareness, and may be utilized as a benchmark of pain education programming.</p> </abstract>