Development and Validation of a Tool to Calculate an Exposure Score for All Pain Self-Management Strategies Used By Individuals with Chronic Pain

Objectives: To develop a tool to calculate the exposure scores for all pain self-management strategies used by individuals with chronic pain, and to test the validity of the tool by assessing associations between exposure and pain outcomes using regression. Methods: Survey data of pharmacists’ pain self-management strategies were used to calculate the exposure score. One point was assigned for every: 100mg of morphine used (opioid medications); 25% of the maximum recommended dose used (non-opioid medications); and any use of another strategy. Points were summed to calculate each individual’s exposure. Regressions assessed associations between exposure and pain outcomes. Results: Data for 149 individuals with chronic pain were included in the study. Individuals with chronic pain used a mean of 12.7 (SD=4.7) strategies to manage their pain, and had a mean exposure score of 16.8 (SD=9.1). Exposure score was positively associated in the multivariate models with the self-reported pain outcomes: adverse events experienced due to pain; workdays lost in the last six months due to pain; and pain interference on relationships (p