A MULTIDIMENSIONAL PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR PRIMARY CARE

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Experts recognize that the proper assessment and treatment of pain should extend beyond the biological injury to include more complex multidimensional variables. These variables include patient expectations, impact on quality of life, beliefs, prior experiences, and social and recreational variables. Research indicates that pain related outcomes are improved if the "whole person with pain " is treated instead of focusing only on the physiological process. In spite of the acknowledgement of the benefits of multidimensional pain assessment and treatment, significant conceptual and practical barriers remain. The disparity between state-of-the-art knowledge and clinical practice accentuates the need for strategies and tools to help bridge this gap. Primary care providers, in the frontline of pain management, are particularly in need of tools to improve care and efficiency as they are increasingly asked to provide more care with limited resources. This project aims to help "bridge the gap" between conceptual understanding of pain management and delivered care in the primary care setting by creating a tool that provides a multidimensional pain evaluation and treatment advice using multimedia technology. Phase I will test the underlying model and Phase II will extend the tool to incorporate patients who suffer from cancer, non-cancer or acute pain.