A Qualitative Study of the Pain Experience of Black Individuals With Cancer Taking Long-Acting Opioids.
Katherine A Yeager, William E Rosa, Sarah M Belcher and 4 others
PMID 36737858WHAT IT FOUND
Black patients with cancer taking long-acting opioids described pain as something to control by limiting doses and accepting background pain, while stigma, pharmacy access, side effects, and fear of addiction blocked relief.
Key findings
01Participants tried to control pain by limiting opioid intake and accepting some background pain to preserve independence.
02Barriers to pain relief included fear of addiction, community and access issues, and side effects of opioids.
03The pain and opioid experience was often isolating, but family support and spirituality helped some participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was purposive and small, from two healthcare systems in one city, so it may not represent other Black patients with cancer. Participants had to already have a long-acting opioid prescription, so the study did not capture people who never obtained one. The interviews were collected from 2014 to 2016, before the height of the U.S. opioid addiction epidemic described in the paper. The research team did not include Black members, and the study did not directly ask about racism, discrimination, or systemic barriers.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest declaration. The publication types list N.I.H. extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that patients should avoid or reduce long-acting opioids. The study describes why some patients limited doses, including fear of addiction and side effects, but it did not test whether dose changes improved pain or function.