Participants' Experiences of a 'Friends and Family Day' (v.2)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Experiences of Patients and Significant Others Involved in a Pain Management Programme 'Friends and Family Day'
IRAS ID
130467
Contact name
Elizabeth Steyert
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Research summary
Pain Management Programmes (PMPs) are recognised as an effective means of helping those with chronic pain (CP) better manage their condition and become more involved with activities of daily living (Zarnegar & Daniel, 2005). PMPs often consider pain from a biopsychosocial perspective given evidence to suggest that the maintenance of pain can be the result of multiple, interacting factors (Main, Spanswick, & Watson, 2000).
Many PMPs contain a module where participants learn about the effects of significant others on their CP conditions. Some PMPs invite friends and family members to personally attend and take part in this module. This is because, it is recognised that people surrounding those with CP form one of the factors that can impact upon whether a person's pain worsens, is maintained, or improves (e.g. Snelling, 1994). In addition, living with a person with CP is associated with increased levels of distress (e.g. Bigatti & Cronan, 2002).
What is less clear through the literature is how the involvement of significant others might be best facilitated and, indeed, how currently available opportunities for involvement are experienced by patients and significant others. It follows that this research aims to address this gap.
The research is to be conducted within the Pain Management Department (PMD) at Whitegate Health Centre (WHC). The department runs a PMP that includes a Friends and Family Day (FFD) that patients are asked to invite a significant other to attend. The study is framed by the research question, “What are the experiences of patients and significant others involved in a pain management programme Friends and Family Day?”
By exploring these experiences, the study has four main aims:
1. To develop a greater understanding of the impact of CP conditions on significant others and the perceived outcomes of significant others being directly involved in PMPs.
2. To develop a greater understanding of what patients and significant others feel an appropriate way of involving significant others in CP care is.
3. To inform the content of future FFDs at WHC Pain Management Department (or, indeed, to suggest alternative formats).
4. To inform the wider PMP context with regards the involvement of significant others.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NE/1011
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion