Background: Affecting 10-20% of adults and children, chronic pain is a public health concern. Living with chronic pain (≥ 3 months duration) is associated with an increased risk of social isolation, loneliness and worse pain interference and disability. Social inclusion, engagement and peer support can improve quality of life, coping and pain management. A ‘Pain Café’ is an innovative, community-based approach for increasing social connection among people living with chronic pain. The extent to which Pain Cafés could be implemented in Ireland, and their effects on health-related quality of life is not known.
Aims and objectives: The primary aim of this implementation project is to investigate implementation outcomes associated with establishing an initial network of Pain Cafés in an Irish setting. Our objectives are to:
Investigate the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, costs, attendance numbers of Pain Cafés.
Investigate the potential effects of Pain Cafés on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Hypotheses:
Pain Cafés can be successfully implemented in an Irish setting.
Pain Cafés have beneficial effects on HRQoL.
Methods:
An observational implementation study involving people with lived experience of chronic pain, and in Partnership with Chronic Pain Ireland, will evaluate and measure implementation outcomes i) qualitatively via direct observation of Pain Cafés, followed by semi-structured interviews and focus groups with attendees, and ii) quantitatively using a survey tool and the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability questionnaire. The potential effects of attending a Pain Café will be measured using Patient Reported Outcomes (e.g. changes in validated PROs of HRQoL, social function, emotional wellbeing, pain interference) and a pre-test/post-test design. Qualitative data will be analysed via an inductive thematic analysis. Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Outcome: This project will be the first to determine the implementability of Pain Cafés in Ireland and their effects on health.