A regional program evaluation of the Stanford Chronic Pain Self-Management Program in Eastern Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Health care providers often struggle to treat patients with chronic pain. One potential solution is to facilitate access to programs and tools that develop patients' skills and confidence in managing their own care.

Aims: This study aimed to describe the uptake of the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP) in Eastern Ontario and evaluate the effectiveness of the program in the acquisition of knowledge, confidence, and skills required to manage chronic pain, as measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM).

Methods: Using data routinely collected through the CPSMP between December 2017 and May 2023, we conducted a descriptive analysis of the number of participants each year, their gender, and their age distributions. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of the change in PAM score between participants' first (baseline) and last (follow-up) day in the program.

Results: Overall, 1023 individuals enrolled in the CPSMP during the study period, with enrollments peaking in 2018 and remaining stable thereafter. There was a higher proportion of females compared to males (69%, n = 709) and 50- to 59-year-olds compared to other ages. Of the 1023 participants enrolled, 151 completed PAM surveys at baseline and follow-up (15%), of which 69% experienced an increase of at least 4 points on the PAM (104/151).

Conclusion: Most participants were female and aged 50 to 59 years old. Among a sample of participants with available longitudinal data, the CPSMP demonstrated promising effectiveness at equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their pain. Replication in a larger representative sample is warranted.