A New Model to Reach Vulnerable Older Adults With Pain Self-management Support

University of Michigan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Pain

Treatments: Behavioral: STEPS (Seniors using Technology to Engage in Pain Self-management)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04095650

HUM00154949

K01AG050706 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 38 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• English-proficient
• Age >= 60 years
• Ambulatory with or without assistive device
• Community-living
• Have a cell or landline phone
• Have Internet access (home or elsewhere)
• Self-reported chronic musculoskeletal pain (pain in muscles or joints for > 3 months); >4 (0-10 scale) average pain level over last week; >1 day/previous 30 when pain made it difficult to do usual activities
• Ability to attend a one-time study orientation session

Exclusion criteria

• Serious acute illness or hospitalization in last month
• Planned surgery in next three months
• Significant cognitive impairment as indicated by affirmative response to question: "Do you have significant difficulties with your memory that get in the way of your usual daily activities?"
• Other severe physical or psychiatric disorder judged by study team to pose significant barrier to deriving program benefit.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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38 participants in 1 patient group

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will engage in a 7-week chronic pain self-management program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: STEPS (Seniors using Technology to Engage in Pain Self-management)