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What do people living with chronic pain want from a pain forecast?
A research prioritization study
Little, C. L., Druce, K. L., Dixon, W. G., Schultz, D. M., House, T., & McBeth, J. (2023). What do people living with chronic pain want from a pain forecast? A research prioritization study. PLoS One, 18(10), Article e0292968. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292968
Because people with chronic pain feel uncertain about their future pain, a pain-forecasting model could support individuals to manage their daily pain and improve their quality of life. We conducted two patient and public involvement activities to design the content of a pain-forecasting model by learning participants' priorities in the features provided by a pain forecast and understanding the perceived benefits that such forecasts would provide. The first was a focus group of 12 people living with chronic pain to inform the second activity, a survey of 148 people living with chronic pain. Respondents prioritized forecasting of pain flares (100, or 68%) and fluctuations in pain severity (94, or 64%), particularly the timing of the onset and the severity. Of those surveyed, 75% (or 111) would use a future pain forecast and 80% (or 118) perceived making plans (e.g., shopping, social) as a benefit. For people with chronic pain, the timing of the onset of pain flares, the severity of pain flares and fluctuations in pain severity were prioritized as being key features of a pain forecast, and making plans was prioritized as being a key benefit.