How Do Pain Characteristics, Comorbidity Severity and Patient Characteristics Influence Chronic Pain Patients’ Self-Management Priorities?

Abstract

POSTER ABSTRACTIntroduction/Aim: More than half of chronic pain patients suffer from other chronic health conditions. This study aims to 1) examine the degree to which pain management is a priority among individuals with multiple medical conditions and 2) identify predictors of pain prioritization.Methods: The sample is comprised of 99 patients suffering from chronic pain (≥ 3 months) and ≥ 1 other medical condition recruited through patient associations and social/conventional media. Self-report questionnaires (pain characteristics, patient characteristics, type and severity of comorbidities) were completed at baseline and a pain prioritization diary was completed twice weekly for 6 weeks. Univariate regression models were used to identify pain, patient and comorbidity variables (p > 0.20) that would be included in a final multivariate model to examine pain management priority (model 1) and stability of prioritization (model 2).Results: Pain management prioritization scores ranged from 1.67 to 4.92 out of 5 (SD = 0.76) and 16.2% of participants reported ≥ 20% increase or decrease in the priority given to pain management over a six-week period. Model 1: Perceived illness burden was the only predictor retained in the univariate analysis (p = 0.074) to predict levels of pain management prioritization. Model 2: None of the characteristics examined were significantly associated with stability of prioritization of pain management symptoms.Discussion/Conclusions: Prioritization of pain management is a dynamic process that does not seem to be influenced by severity of pain, individual characteristics or severity of comorbidities. The next step is to examine time-varying predictors of pain management prioritization.