PINTO-85 1.0

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  EXPERIENCES OF MANAGING PAIN WITH OPIOID MEDICATIONS IN ADULTS AGED 85 YEARS AND OLDER

• IRAS ID

  325226

• Contact name

  Victoria Welsh

• Contact email

  v.welsh@keele.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Keele University

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  NIHR number, 644; PID, PID-220365

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 8 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Chronic or persistent pain is pain that has lasted more than 3 months. In the oldest old, those aged 85 years and older, persistent pain is common and often difficult to manage. Guidelines recommend approaches to pain management that do not involve medication (e.g., exercise). However, healthcare professionals (HCPs) continue to prescribe painkillers, such as opioids, despite associated adverse side effects and limited scientific evidence to support their long-term effectiveness.
  HCPs need support to move away from prescribing opioids in the oldest old. To better support HCPs, we need to understand the values and beliefs of patients, their families and HCPs towards prescribing opioid medication. Only then can we start to develop support for HCPs to move towards recommending alternative pain management approaches.

  This study will interview patients (i.e., people living with persistent pain who are prescribed opioids), a close family member or carer, and prescribing HCPs to understand:

  1. The attitudes and beliefs of the oldest old who are living with pain towards the use of opioids to manage persistent pain;
  2. The attitudes and beliefs of carers and family members towards the use of opioids to manage the persistent pain of their client or family member;
  3. The attitudes and beliefs of health care professionals towards the use of opioids to manage persistent pain in their oldest old populations.

  Study participants will be recruited from the West Midlands area and, where possible, we will seek to interview patient-carer-HCP ‘triads’ where the family member or carer and HCP are directly involved with the care of the patient. The study will be conducted from March 2023 for 12 months. During this time, interviews will be conducted individually demanding a time commitment from each participant of one hour.

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 3

• REC reference

  23/WS/0118

• Date of REC Opinion

  4 Aug 2023

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion