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Zarska A, Slat S, Kehne A, Macleod C, Rye H, Dehmlow C, Hilliard P, Jaffe K, Lagisetty P. Feasibility and Acceptability of the Pain Profile, a Clinical Questionnaire Aimed at Improving Pain Care. Journal of pain research. 2023 May 11; 16:1559-1571.
PURPOSE: Despite being one of the most common medical complaints, chronic pain is difficult to manage due to ineffective communication between providers and patients and time restraints during appointments. Patient-centered questionnaires have the potential to optimize communication by assessing a patient''s pain history, prior treatments, and associated comorbidities to develop an effective treatment plan. This study aimed to analyze the feasibility and acceptability of a pre-visit clinical questionnaire aimed at improving communication and pain care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The "Pain Profile" questionnaire was piloted across two specialty pain clinics in a large academic medical center. Patient and provider surveys were conducted with patients who completed the Pain Profile questionnaire and providers who use it in practice. Surveys consisted of multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding the helpfulness, usability, and implementation of the questionnaire. Descriptive analyses of patient and provider surveys were conducted. Qualitative data were analyzed using matrix framework-based coding. RESULTS: A total of 171 patients and 32 clinical providers completed the feasibility and acceptability surveys. 77% of patients (N = 131) found the Pain Profile helpful in communicating their pain experiences and 69% of providers (N = 22) found it helpful in guiding clinical decisions. The section that assessed the impact of pain was rated most helpful by patients (4/5) while the open-ended section asking patients to describe their pain history was rated least helpful by patients and providers (3.7/5 and 4.1/5, respectively). Both patients and providers provided suggestions to future iterations of the Pain Profile, including the addition of opioid risk and mental health screening tools. CONCLUSION: The Pain Profile questionnaire was feasible and acceptable in a pilot study at a large academic site. Future testing in a large-scale, fully powered trial is needed to assess the effectiveness of the Pain Profile in optimizing communication and pain management.