Veterans' pain management goals: Changes during the course of a peer-led pain self-management program.
Sarah M Bauer, Alan B McGuire, Marina Kukla and 3 others
PMID 27516437WHAT IT FOUND
Veterans in a peer-led pain self-management program described clearer, more specific goals and plans, though some goals or strategies became less specific or unchanged.
Key findings
01Seven patients said the intervention helped them become motivated to do more about their pain self-management, and many attributed this to interactions with their peer coach.
02Goal criteria became more specific and measurable for seven patients, and strategies became more specific and measurable for nine patients.
03Not all patients improved: for five patients, goal criteria and strategies declined or were stagnant, most commonly with criteria declining and plans remaining stagnant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a qualitative study of 16 male Veterans at one VA Medical Center, so it cannot be generalized to women, civilians, or other settings. The parent study was a pilot, and the current analysis had no comparison group, so it cannot show that the program caused the goal changes. It is unclear whether changes were due to the intervention, the baseline interviews, or both. Patients were not asked to explain why or how their goals changed. Patients were not asked whether they completed their goals, so goal attainment was not measured.
Declared interests
The supplied publication types indicate research support from the U.S. government, non-P.H.S. The article text does not report author disclosures or whether funders designed or wrote the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that peer-led self-management improves pain, function, or goal attainment. This was a small qualitative study of 16 male Veterans with no comparison group, and it cannot separate the effects of the intervention from the interviews.