Self-Reported Pain Interference and Analgesic Characteristics in Rural Older Adults

Pain, comorbidities, and clinical decision-making: conceptualization, development, and pilot testing of the Pain in Aging, Educational Assessment of Need instrument

Introduction

Pain is highly prevalent in older adults and often contextualized by multiple clinical conditions (pain comorbidities). Pain comorbidities increase with age and this makes clinical decisions more complex. To address gaps in clinical training and geriatric pain management, we established the Pain in Aging-Educational Assessment of Need (PAEAN) project to appraise the impacts of medical and mental health conditions on clinical decision-making regarding older adults with pain. We here report development and pilot testing of the PAEAN survey instrument to assess clinician perspectives.

Methods

Mixed-methods approaches were used. Scoping review methodology was applied to appraise both research literature and selected Medicare-based data. A geographically and professionally diverse interprofessional advisory panel of experts in pain research, medical education, and geriatrics was formed to advise development of the list of pain comorbidities potentially impacting healthcare professional clinical decision-making. A survey instrument was developed, and pilot tested by diverse licensed healthcare practitioners from 2 institutions. Respondents were asked to rate agreement regarding clinical decision-making impact using a 5-point Likert scale. Items were scored for percent agreement.

Results

Scoping reviews indicated that pain conditions and comorbidities are prevalent in older adults but not universally recognized. We found no research literature directly guiding pain educators in designing pain education modules that mirror older adult clinical complexity. The interprofessional advisory panel identified 26 common clinical conditions for inclusion in the pilot PAEAN instrument. Conditions fell into three main categories: "major medical", i.e., cardio-vascular-pulmonary; metabolic; and neuropsychiatric/age-related. The instrument was pilot tested by surveying clinically active healthcare providers, e.g., physicians, nurse practitioners, who all responded completely. Median survey completion time was less than 3 min.

Conclusion

This study, developing and pilot testing our "Pain in Aging-Educational Assessment of Need" (PAEAN) instrument, suggests that 1) many clinical conditions impact pain clinical decision-making, and 2) surveying healthcare practitioners about the impact of pain comorbidities on clinical decision-making for older adults is highly feasible. Given the challenges intrinsic to safe and effective clinical care of older adults with pain, and attendant risks, together with the paucity of existing relevant work, much more education and research are needed.

"Ask, 'When You Do This, How Much Pain Are You In?'": Content Preferences for a Conversational Pain Self-Management Software Application

The purpose of the current study was to examine older adults' preferences for conversational pain management content to incorporate in an interactive application (app) for pain self-management. Conversational statements and questions were written as a script to encourage evidence-based pain self-management behaviors. The content was converted from text to female chatbot speech and saved as four groups of MP3 files. A purposive sample of 22 older adults participated in a guided interaction through the MP3 files. One-on-one interviews were conducted to garner participants' conversational content preferences. Overall, participants want the conversational content to increase health care provider engagement in pain management communication. Older adults preferred the inclusion of conversational statements and questions for monitoring the multifaceted dimensions of pain, treatment accountability, guidance for alternative treatments, and undesirable effects from pain treatments. The design of mobile health apps must incorporate the needs and preferences of older adults. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(1), 11-17.].

Poor Sleep Predicts Increased Pain Perception Among Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

BACKGROUND

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment are at an increased risk for dementia of the Alzheimer's type. These older adults also report poorer sleep and more pain than their cognitively intact adult counterparts. Poor sleep and pain are both symptoms associated with an increased risk for dementia in later life. Symptom science research in the direction of how poor sleep affects pain among older adults, especially those with mild cognitive impairment, is needed for the development of targeted sleep interventions to reduce pain and potentially delay/reduce the risk for Alzheimer's disease in this population.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine a predictive model of the relationship between poor sleep and pain perception among community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

METHODS

A longitudinal prospective design with 58 continuous matched sleep-pain observations of 15 older adults with mild cognitive impairment for up to 6 months was used. Multilevel, mixed-modeling, statistical techniques were used to examine the effects of prior-week sleep on subsequent pain perception. Pain perception (pain intensity, pain interference, and pain behavior) is measured by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System during monthly in-person visits. The ActiGraph GT3X+ was used to measure sleep (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, awakenings after sleep onset) objectively and continuously for up to 6 months, along with other covariates (e.g., physical activity).

RESULTS

Increased awakenings after sleep onset in the prior week is associated with increased pain intensity, pain interference, and pain behavior. There was a trend toward sleep efficiency, and increased pain intensity and sleep efficiency predicted increased pain interference and pain behavior. There was no relationship between prior-week total sleep time and subsequent pain perception.

DISCUSSION

In this study, poor sleep in the prior week increased pain intensity, pain interference, and pain behavior. Interventions designed to decrease awakening after sleep onset and increase sleep efficiency specifically may effectively reduce pain in this population. Given that these symptoms are prevalent among older adults with mild cognitive impairment, sleep and pain interventions may also ameliorate some of the risk for Alzheimer's disease in this population.

Pain experience in an aging adult population during a 10-year follow-up

OBJECTIVES

This 10-year follow-up study aimed to examine the persistence of SF-36 pain intensity and pain-related interference and to identify baseline factors that may relate to pain experience among community-dwelling aging adults.

METHODS

Questionnaire and clinical data on a total of 1,954 participants (mean age at baseline 63 years) were collected in 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2012. Based on pain reports, four pain intensity, pain interference (PIPI) groups were formed at each time point: PIPI group I: none to mild pain intensity and interference; II: moderate to extreme pain intensity, none to mild pain-related interference; III: None to mild pain intensity, moderate to extreme pain-related interference, IV: Moderate to extreme pain intensity and interference.

RESULTS

Participants with the most pain at baseline improved their pain situation the most during the follow-up. Higher BMI was associated with pain interference, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and musculoskeletal diseases with both pain intensity and interference (p<0.05, statistically significant interaction between pain intensity and pain interference) at baseline. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis the following baseline characteristics were associated with remaining in PIPI group I throughout the follow-up: presence of musculoskeletal disease (OR 0.22 [95% CI 0.16-0.30]), high BMI (OR 0.93 [95% CI 0.90-0.97]), high household income (OR 1.46 [95% CI 1.07-1.98]), good childhood home environment (OR 1.03 [95% CI 1.00-1.05]).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple factors may affect pain persistence in late adulthood with varying effect on pain intensity and pain-related interference. Pain situation of even those with most pain may be improved.

Voice Assistant Reminders for Pain Self-Management Tasks in Aging Adults

Aging adults are impacted by pain. Technology can assist older adults with pain self-management while allowing for independence. The current usability study explored the use of voice assistant reminders for two pain self-management tasks in aging adults. Fifteen community-dwelling older adults with chronic pain and an average age of 65 years used the voice assistant for 4 weeks. Participants had moderate scores for pain severity (mean = 4.6 [SD = 2.3]) and pain interference (mean = 4 [SD = 2.6]). Voice assistant usability was above average (78 of 100). Median time to set up the Google Home Assistant profile was 5 minutes (SD = 7.5), with a median of asking for help two times. Pain self-management task reminders from the voice assistant were perceived as consistent, easy to set up, and helpful for accountability. Voice assistant reminders may be an option to help encourage a variety of pain self-management tasks in aging adults. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(10), 27-33.].