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The Pain Academy: An evaluation of a primary care brief psychoeducational program for persistent pain
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  • Travis Cos,
  • Venise Salcedo,
  • Alan Ford,
  • Michael Halpern,
  • Diana Harris
Travis Cos
Public Health Management Corporation

Corresponding Author:travis.cos@gmail.com

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Venise Salcedo
Temple University
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Alan Ford
Durham County Council
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Michael Halpern
Temple University
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Diana Harris
Public Health Management Corporation
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Abstract

Persistent pain affects 20% of adults and can impair one’s daily functioning and well-being. Psychoeducational group interventions can be effective in aiding pain management and coping strategies, however the time commitment for most evidence-based programs (10-20 hours) leads to access barriers and delivery challenges in primary care. A mixed-methods, program evaluation was conducted on a low intensity, three-session, manualized group pilot psychoeducational intervention in a primary care practice, emphasizing pain education, behavioral strategies, and pain-alleviating activities. Eighty-two percent of the clinic’s panel of individuals with persistent pain (N=128) and being prescribed opioid pain medication attended at least one class (N=105). Attendees experienced significant pre-post improvements in self-reported pain functioning and favorable satisfaction ratings by patients and medical staff. However only 51% attended all three groups, despite frequent class offerings and heavily encourage by the patient’s medical providers. This study reviews the potential promise and limitations of a low-intensity, limited session pain group to aid pain-related functioning. Additional investigation is warranted to optimize participant attendance, group format and frequency, and outcome assessment.
19 Jun 2020Submitted to Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
23 Jun 2020Submission Checks Completed
23 Jun 2020Assigned to Editor
16 Feb 2022Published in Current Research in Psychology and Behavioral Science (CRPBS) volume 3 issue 1 on pages 1-6. 10.54026/CRPBS/1037