Quality of Life in Managing Chronic Pain

Health-Related Quality of Life Measures to Optimize Chronic Pain Management

This study evaluates the use of a health-related quality of life report based on the SPADE cluster (sleep disturbance, pain interference with activities, anxiety, depression, and low energy/fatigue) derived from the PROMIS-29 instrument in patients with chronic low back pain. Half of the participants will receive the report, while the other half will not.

The health-related quality of life report provides participants with an overall score on the SPADE cluster and scores on each of its five component scales. The recently released Federal Pain Research Strategy states that pain cannot be measured in isolation, but rather should be assessed in conjunction with other outcome measures in 'non-pain domains,' such as quality of life. It recognizes that pain may be affected by, and affect, such patient attributes as sleep, mood, cognition, function, and quality of life. Further, the report states that improvement in pain without concomitant improvement in other domains may not constitute a clinically meaningful outcome. This study aims to assess the utility of a health-related quality of life report in improving quality of life, back pain intensity, and back-related disability in participants with chronic low back pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

Chronic Low Back Pain based on criteria established by the NIH Task Force on Research Standards for Chronic Low Back Pain AND SPADE Cluster Score ≥ 55

Exclusion Criteria:

Absence of Chronic Low Back Pain OR SPADE Cluster Score < 55