Do current methods of measuring the impact of chronic pain on work reflect the experience of working-age adults? An integrated mixed-methods systematic narrative review

ABSTRACT

Chronic pain affects individuals' work participation. The impact of chronic pain on work has historically been measured through sickness absence, though it is now appreciated that the impacts on work are far wider. This mixed-methods review aimed to identify the full range of impacts of pain on work in addition to impacts that are currently measured quantitatively to inform the development of a new questionnaire assessing the wider impacts of chronic pain on work. MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, and CINAHL were searched for studies that included quantitative measures of the impact of chronic pain on work and for qualitative studies where individuals described impacts of their chronic pain on work. Quantitative measures, and text from qualitative studies, were analysed thematically. A thematic framework was developed for establishing the types of impacts measured or described in the literature. Forty-four quantitative and 16 qualitative papers were identified. The literature described impacts within 5 areas: changes at work and to working status; aspects of the workplace and work relationships; pain and related symptoms at work; psychological factors; and factors and impacts outside the work environment related to work. Quantitative measures mainly assessed impacts related to the quantity and quality of work (29 of 42 measures). Seventeen aspects were only discussed within the qualitative literature. This study identifies a discrepancy between the impacts that have been the focus of quantitative measures and the range that individuals working with chronic pain experience and highlights the need for a new measure assessing a wider range of issues.

How chronic pain changes a person's life story in relation to participation in occupational roles: A narrative exploration

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain (CP) affects a large part of the population worldwide, decreasing physical and mental health and causing a shift in occupational roles. This has created a need for a better understanding to address this problem.

OBJECTIVES

To explore possible changes in occupational roles and the participation levels within among people diagnosed with CP over time.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study used a qualitative, narrative methodology. Five people with CP were included in the study. They participated in a single-life story interview coupled with timeline drawings. Data analysis was conducted using a narrative analysis.

RESULTS

The results revealed that occupational roles and the participation therein changed over time. Employee was considered the most important role, whereby the participants tried to maintain this role by sacrificing other roles within their lives. Moreover, CMP forced a change in their occupational identity.

CONCLUSION

CP can disrupt a person's life and demand a change in occupational roles and the participation levels within. This process was accompanied by possible changes in their occupational identity.

Qualidade do sono e fatores associados entre docentes de educação superior

Resumo Introdução: a baixa qualidade do sono pode comprometer tanto a saúde como a qualidade de vida. Objetivo: estimar a prevalência e os fatores associados à qualidade do sono ruim entre docentes de educação superior de uma universidade pública na Bahia. Métodos: estudo exploratório, transversal, realizado de novembro de 2015 a abril de 2016 com 423 docentes aleatoriamente selecionados. A qualidade do sono foi mensurada pela escala Mini-Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ). Resultados: a prevalência de qualidade do sono ruim foi de 61,3%. As queixas mais frequentes foram: dificuldade de adormecer, acordar cansado, acordar com dor de cabeça e não ter tempo para dormir durante o dia. Apresentaram-se estatisticamente associadas com a qualidade do sono ruim: manter mais de um vínculo empregatício, tempo irregular e/ou insuficiente para a prática de atividades de lazer, seis horas ou menos de sono, queixas de dor musculoesquelética e de cabeça, e alta exigência psicológica com baixo controle sobre o trabalho. Conclusão: condições de trabalho que propiciam os fatores associados à elevada prevalência de qualidade do sono ruim entre docentes devem ser repensadas em prol da saúde desses trabalhadores e da importância do seu trabalho para a sociedade.

Disability and functioning assessment of women with RSI/WRMSDs: the use of the ICF checklist

Background:

Comprehensive approaches using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Checklist have been adopted to give more visibility to demands related to specific health situations.

Objective:

To analyze the incapacity and functioning associated with activity/participation and environmental factors of female workers with repetitive strain injury/work-related musculoskeletal disorders (RSI/WRMSDs) using workers’ narratives, ICF codes and the RSI/WRMSDs Checklist developed as a part of the present research project.

Methods:

A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 female workers diagnosed with RSI/WRMSDs was completed. Functioning and disability were assessed by linking ICF codes identified in the participants’ narratives to those included in the RSI/WRMSDs Checklist.

Results:

Fifty-three of 60 ICF codes included in the RSI/WRMSDs Checklist were detected in the participants’ narratives. Related to activity/participation, 26 codes were identified and 27 related to environmental factors.

Conclusion:

These results highlight the significance of the RSI/WMSDs Checklist to detect clinical and social problems experienced by workers during the rehabilitation and return-to-work process. They also reinforce the relevance of expanding the application of the checklist to male and female workers with RSI/WRMSDs undergoing rehabilitation to attain other levels of validation.

Empirical analysis of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) using structural equation modeling

Objective:

To empirically test the relationships proposed by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) among its domains.

Method:

The cross-sectional study was completed with 226 adult patients with different health conditions who attended a Brazilian rehabilitation unit. The ICF components were measured with the following instruments: World Health Organization Disability Assessment Instrument II, Functional Independence Measure, Participation Scale, Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors, and a protocol designed to gather information on body structure and function and personal factors.

Results:

Structural equation modeling showed good model adjustment, GFI=0.863; AGFI=0.795; RMSEA=0.028 (90% CI=0.014-0.043). Significant relationships were found between activity and both body structure and function (standard coefficient=0.32; p<0.0001) and participation components (standard coefficient=–0.70; p<0.0001). Environmental and personal factors had a significant effect on the three functioning components (standard coefficient =0.39; p<0.0001; standard coefficient =-0.35; p<0.001, respectively). In contrast, body structure and function had no significant effect on participation (standard coefficient=–0.10; p=0.111) and health conditions had no significant effect on any of the functioning components, i.e., body structure and function, activity, and participation (standard coefficient=–0.12; p=0.128).

Conclusion:

Some of the ICF’s proposed relationships across domains were confirmed, while others were not found to be significant. Our results reinforce the contextual dependency of the functioning and disability processes, in addition to putting into perspective the impact of health conditions.

A influência do afastamento do trabalho na percepção de saúde e qualidade de vida de indivíduos adultos

RESUMO Este estudo comparou percepção de saúde e qualidade de vida entre trabalhadores ativos e afastados do trabalho atendidos nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) de Uberaba (MG). Foram estudados 111 trabalhadores avaliados por um questionário com dados sociodemográficos e ocupacionais, avaliação da percepção de saúde e SF-36 para qualidade de vida. Os dados foram submetidos à análise descritiva, teste qui-quadrado para comparação da percepção de saúde e teste U de Mann-Whitney para comparação da qualidade de vida. Mais da metade da amostra era do sexo feminino (63,1%), com média de idade de 36 anos. Quanto à situação atual no trabalho, a maioria (69,4%) estava ativa e 30,6% afastada, sendo a média de 2,85 meses de afastamento. Mais de 75% dos respondentes avaliaram sua saúde como muito boa ou boa, e 23,4% como regular, ruim ou muito ruim. Os trabalhadores afastados tinham qualidade de vida significativamente pior nos domínios capacidade funcional, aspecto físico, dor, estado geral de saúde, aspecto social, aspecto emocional e saúde mental, e pior percepção de saúde quando comparados aos trabalhadores ativos. Estar fora do mercado de trabalho associou-se a uma pior percepção de saúde e qualidade de vida; dessa forma, ações e políticas para inserção de indivíduos adultos em atividades laborais devem ser incentivadas.

Patients' experiences of chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal pain: a qualitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is one of the most predominant types of pain and accounts for a large portion of the primary care workload.

AIM

To systematically review and integrate the findings of qualitative research to increase understanding of patients' experiences of chronic non-malignant MSK pain.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Synthesis of qualitative research using meta-ethnography using six electronic databases up until February 2012 (Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Psychinfo, Amed and HMIC).

METHOD

Databases were searched from their inception until February 2012, supplemented by hand-searching contents lists of specific journals for 2001-2011 and citation tracking. Full published reports of qualitative studies exploring adults' own experience of chronic non-malignant MSK pain were eligible for inclusion.

RESULTS

Out of 24 992 titles, 676 abstracts, and 321 full texts were screened, 77 papers reporting 60 individual studies were included. A new concept of pain as an adversarial struggle emerged. This adversarial struggle was to: 1) affirm self; 2) reconstruct self in time; 3) construct an explanation for suffering; 4) negotiate the healthcare system; and 5) prove legitimacy. However, despite this struggle there is also a sense for some patients of 6) moving forward alongside pain.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides a theoretical underpinning for improving patient experience and facilitating a therapeutic collaborative partnership. A conceptual model is presented, which offers opportunities for improvement by involving patients, showing them their pain is understood, and forming the basis to help patients move forward alongside their pain.

A meta-ethnography of patients’ experience of chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal pain

Background

The alleviation of pain is a key aim of health care yet pain can often remain a puzzle as it is not always explained by a specific pathology. Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is one of the most predominant kinds of chronic pain and its prevalence is increasing. One of the aims of qualitative research in health care is to understand the experience of illness, and make sense of the complex processes involved. However, the proliferation of qualitative studies can make it difficult to use this knowledge. There has been no attempt to systematically review and integrate the findings of qualitative research in order to increase our understanding of chronic MSK pain. A synthesis of qualitative research would help us to understand what it is like to have chronic MSK pain. Specifically, it would help us understand peoples' experience of health care with the aim of improving it.

Aim

The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of patients’ experience of chronic non-malignant MSK pain; utilise existing research knowledge to improve understanding and, thus, best practice in patient care; and contribute to the development of methods for qualitative research synthesis.

Methods

We used the methods of meta-ethnography, which aim to develop concepts that help us to understand a particular experience, by synthesising research findings. We searched six electronic bibliographic databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) and included studies up until the final search in February 2012. We also hand-searched particular journals known to report qualitative studies and searched reference lists of all relevant qualitative studies for further potential studies. We appraised each study to decide whether or not to include it. The full texts of 321 potentially relevant studies were screened, of which 77 qualitative studies that explored adults’ experience of chronic non-malignant MSK pain were included. Twenty-eight of these studies explored the experience of fibromyalgia.

Results

Our findings revealed the new concept of an adversarial struggle that explains the experience of people with chronic MSK pain. This included the struggle to affirm self and construct self over time; find an explanation for pain; negotiate the health-care system while feeling compelled to stay in it; be valued and believed; and find the right balance between sick/well and hiding/showing pain. In spite of this struggle, our model showed that some people were able to move forward alongside their pain by listening to their body rather than fighting it; letting go of the old self and finding a new self; becoming part of a community and not feeling like the only one; telling others about pain and redefining relationships; realising that pain is here to stay rather than focusing on diagnosis and cure; and becoming the expert and making choices. We offer unique methodological innovations for meta-ethnography, which allowed us to develop a conceptual model that is grounded in 77 original studies. In particular, we describe a collaborative approach to interpreting the primary studies.

Conclusion

Our model helps us to understand the experience of people with chronic MSK pain as a constant adversarial struggle. This may distinguish it from other types of pain. This study opens up possibilities for therapies that aim to help a person to move forward alongside pain. Our findings call on us to challenge some of the cultural notions about illness, in particular the expectation of achieving a diagnosis and cure. Cultural expectations are deep-rooted and can deeply affect the experience of pain. We therefore should incorporate cultural categories into our understanding of pain. Not feeling believed can have an impact on a person’s participation in everyday life. The qualitative studies in this meta-ethnography revealed that people with chronic MSK pain still do not feel believed. This has clear implications for clinical practice. Our model suggests that central to the relationship between patient and practitioner is the recognition of the patient as a person whose life has been deeply changed by pain. Listening to a person’s narratives can help us to understand the impact of pain. Our model suggests that feeling valued is not simply an adjunct to the therapy, but central to it. Further conceptual syntheses would help us make qualitative research accessible to a wider relevant audience. Further primary qualitative research focusing on reconciling acceptance with moving forward with pain might help us to further understand the experience of pain. Our study highlights the need for research to explore educational strategies aimed at improving patients’ and clinicians’ experience of care.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.