Learning chronic pain self-management skills can help patients improve daily functioning and quality of life, while avoiding risks associated with opioids and other pharmacological treatments. Community health workers (CHWs) may help make chronic pain self-management interventions more accessible to older adults living in underserved communities. The goal of this study is to conduct a feasibility test of a chronic pain self-management intervention delivered by CHWs, in conjunction with mobile health tools, in a sample of 25 older adults recruited from community sites in Detroit, Michigan. This study will involve the use of mixed quantitative and qualitative methods to assess participant engagement and satisfaction, and change in pain-related outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
38
Participants will meet with a community health worker (CHW) at a one-hour in-person study orientation session. At this session, they will be introduced to the program, learn how to use the online modules and associated materials, and schedule six weekly telephone sessions with the CHW. Participants will be given a wearable physical activity tracker to use throughout the course of the program. They can choose to report daily step counts by automatically syncing to an app or via text message. Each week during the study period, participants will engage with content on the website, have a session with the community health worker, track their daily steps, and set and work toward pain-management goals.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Change in pain interference
The Pain Interference 6-item subscale of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-43 Adult Profile. Items ask how much pain in the last 7 days has interfered with daily activities such as household chores and social activities (1=not at all to 5=very much); raw total scale scores range from 6 (low interference) to 30 (high interference)..
Time frame: baseline and 8 weeks
Participant engagement
Number of completed sessions with the community health worker (range 1 to 7).
Time frame: 8 weeks
Participant Global Impression of Change
Two items: 1) How participant thinks their pain has changed from baseline (much worse (-3) to much better(+3)). 2) How participant thinks their functioning has changed from baseline (much worse (-3) to much better(+3)).
Time frame: 8 weeks
Participant satisfaction: Likert-scale questions
Likert-scale questions about participant satisfaction with the program; e.g., whether participation increased understanding of pain management (Strongly Agree=1 to Strongly Disagree=5), and with selected program elements (e.g., community health workers, videos, website).
Time frame: 8 weeks
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