What is stable pain control? A prospective longitudinal study to assess the clinical value of a personalized pain goal

Abstract

The personalized pain goal is a feasible outcome measure for cognitively intact patients. The Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain definition closely resembles patient-reported personalized pain goals for stable pain and would be appropriate for research purposes. For clinical pain management, it would be important to include the personalized pain goal as standard practice.

Comparison of Indicators for Achievement of Pain Control With a Personalized Pain Goal in a Comprehensive Cancer Center

“…Because the PPG value may be associated with PI, PPG in the present subjects (i.e., 2) appears to be lower than that reported previously (i.e., 3). 11,12 Therefore, the present results need to be confirmed in other populations. Another limitation is that the present study was conducted in a highly specialized comprehensive cancer center.…”

“…The pain levels of patients were generally low; 69% reported a 0e3 pain score, similar to a previous study in Japan. 24 On the other hand, in the study by Dalal et al, 10 only 42% had a 0e4 pain score, whereas in the study by Fainsinger et al, 12 only 36% had a 0e3 pain score. Because the PPG value may be associated with PI, PPG in the present subjects (i.e., 2) appears to be lower than that reported previously (i.e., 3).…”

Cancer-Related Pain: A Longitudinal Study of Time to Stable Pain Control and Its Clinicodemographic Predictors

“…Although the study's SPC definition mirrored the ECS-CP-linked definition, 18 use of more patientcentered outcomes has been proposed, 45 particularly the personalized pain goal (PPG). 46,47 A PPG represents the patient's expressed pain intensity level that is acceptable for them. 46,48 In a study of patients with advanced cancer (n ¼ 231) and CP, most (n ¼ 169, 73%) participants were able to provide a PPG and 67% (n ¼ 113) of these reported a PPG of 3 or less.…”

Impact of Pain and Evaluation of Education and Self-Care in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

“…Earlier studies show that patients with cancer experience a significant change in pain intensity corresponding to about a two-point difference on a tenpoint scale [188]. Cancer-related pain can be graded on a scale corresponding to mild (0-4), moderate (5-6) and severe (7-10) [189][190][191]. Average pain intensity among the patients in Paper III was mild.…”

“…Pain intensity among patients with cancer was considered to be mild when rated 0-4, moderate at 5-6, and severe at 7-10 on a ten-point scale [189][190][191]. The patients in Paper IV reported mild pain throughout the study.…”