title: Influence of patient coaching on analgesic treatment adjustment: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For patients with cancer-related pain and their physicians, routine oncology visits are an opportunity to adjust the analgesic regimen and secure better pain control. However, treatment intensification occurs haphazardly in practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effect of patient-centered tailored education and coaching (TEC) on the likelihood of analgesic treatment adjustment during oncology visits, and in turn, the influence of treatment adjustment on subsequent cancer pain control, we studied patients enrolled in a randomized trial of TEC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Just before a scheduled oncology visit, 258 patients with at least moderate baseline pain received TEC or control; just after the same visit, they reported on whether the physician recommended a new pain medicine or a change in dose of an existing medicine. Pain severity and pain-related impairment were measured two, six, and 12 weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients assigned to TEC were more likely than controls to report a change in the analgesic treatment regimen (60% vs. 36%, P<0.01); significant effects persisted after adjustment for baseline pain, study site, and physician (adjusted odds ratio 2.61, 95% confidence interval 1.55, 4.40, P<0.01). In a mixed-effects repeated measures regression, analgesic change (but not TEC itself) was associated with a sustained decrease in pain severity (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TEC increases the likelihood of self-reported, physician-directed adjustments in analgesic prescribing, and treatment intensification is associated with better cancer pain outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA. rlkravitz@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kravitz
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tancredi
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jerant
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Street
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grennan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Franks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics