Evaluation of a Pilot Shard-care Program for Patients With Chronic Pain in the Champlain-LHIN

Evaluation of a Pilot Shard-care Program for Patients With Chronic Pain in the Champlain-LHIN

The study is evaluating an intervention consisting of a five week online mindfulness program for patients being referred to the Pain Clinic and triaged to eConsult. A pain specialist will be in contact with the patient's family physician to confirm it's appropriate and then a therapist will initiate contact with the patient to assess eligibility. The therapist will be a registered health professional with experience with patients with chronic health problems and will be supporting the online program where the participant will have communication access to them. Questionnaires will be sent at three time points to assess changes.

There are currently many patients waiting to be seen at The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic (TOHPC). However, many patients with chronic pain (CP) have exhausted medical options or could be served in the community with appropriate support for them and their family physicians (FPs). eConsult is a secure web-based platform that allows TOHPC physicians to provide pain management advice within seven days within the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

In order to provide enhanced care to patients and improve the uptake of eConsult for CP, the investigators have developed a shared care model for CP in the Champlain LHIN. This program combines the use of eConsult for FPs and a 5-week self-directed online CP management program with therapist support available as needed.

Inclusion Criteria:

• aged 18-years or older
• ability to understand oral and written English
• report chronic pain (≥3months)

Exclusion Criteria:

• refusal or inability to provide informed consent
• severe, unstable or untreated psychiatric conditions (ex. severe depression, psychosis, bipolar, etc.)
• does not have access to the internet or electronic device capable of watching videos