title: Does a Brief Educational Session Produce Positive Change for Individuals Waiting for Tertiary Chronic Pain Services?
abstract: To examine: 1) whether a single brief pre-clinic educational session improved the well-being and quality of life of individuals entering the wait-list for a tertiary chronic pain (CP) service; and 2) the impact of waiting for services on these outcomes.
  
  
  
  Participants were 346 adults, with basic English skills and non-urgent triage codes, who were recruited on referral to a tertiary Australian metropolitan CP unit. Participants were randomized across two conditions: "treatment as usual" (normal wait-list) and "experimental" (normal wait-list plus a 3-hour CP educational session). The educational session encouraged self-management and life engagement despite pain. Multiple outcomes (pain acceptance, pain-related interference, psychological distress, health care utilization [frequency, types], quality of life, health knowledge/beliefs), as well as pain severity and symptom exaggeration, were assessed at intake and again at 2 weeks and 6 months post-educational session (or equivalent for the wait-list group).
  
  
  
  Satisfaction with the educational session was moderate-to-high, but attendance was not associated with improved outcomes. At 2 weeks, all study participants reported significant improvements in pain acceptance (willingness, overall acceptance), health care utilization (frequency) and quality of life (physical), which were maintained/enhanced at 6 months. Use of psychological and physical therapies increased significantly by 6 months. There was no functional deterioration while wait-listed.
  
  
  
  Attending a brief pre-clinic education session did not improve function. There was no deterioration in wait-listed participants who agreed to be involved in research and who completed study measures at 2 and 6 months, but referral was associated with short-term functional improvements. This is the first study to link positive change with referral to, rather than treatment by, a tertiary CP service.
authors.affiliation: *Pain Management Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia a.burke@sa.gov.au.|School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne L J
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Linley A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Denson
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mathias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic Pain; Pain Acceptance; Pre-Clinic Education; Waiting-List