Implementation and Effectiveness of the Power Over Pain Portal for Patients Awaiting a Tertiary Care Consultation for Chronic Pain: Protocol for a Pilot, Prospective, Cohort, Mixed Methods Study.

backgroundChronic pain (CP) affects approximately 8 million people in Canada. Access to CP care is challenging, and there is no robust monitoring system to support patient care and decision-making. The Power Over Pain (POP) Portal was developed by people living with CP, health care providers, researchers, health system decision-makers, policymakers, and community partners to address these concerns. The POP Portal is a comprehensive web-based platform that provides rapid access to a continuum of free, evidence-informed resources for the self-management of CP, mental health, and substance use health. The POP Portal also offers self-assessment tools that enable users to track their progress and receive personalized recommendations.

objectiveThis hybrid implementation-effectiveness type III pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility (ie, recruitment, integration, facilitators and barriers, patient engagement, usability, and acceptability) of the POP Portal's implementation for people waiting for care at a tertiary pain clinic.

methodsA cohort of 80 adults living with pain was recruited from the waitlist of a tertiary care pain clinic over a 3-month period. Following an orientation on the POP Portal, participants were encouraged to use it according to their needs and preferences. They were also asked to complete questionnaires at baseline (0 months) and the 3-month follow-up. Primary feasibility measures included recruitment and retention rates and portal acceptability using the Acceptability E-scale. We also measured usability using the System Usability Scale, evaluated engagement through portal analytics, and identified facilitators and barriers via semistructured interviews with 12 to 15 study participants. These interviews further assessed the acceptability and usability of the portal for participants. Exploratory measures included pain severity, pain-related interference, self-efficacy, coping strategies, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

resultsWe will present descriptive data on the cohort's sex and gender, age, rural or urban status, and ethnic background, as well as the acceptability, usability, and feasibility of the portal. Measures of central tendency will be reported for continuous variables, and frequencies and proportions will be reported for categorical variables. We will also present change in clinical outcomes across time and a synthesis of qualitative and thematic data.

conclusionsWe anticipate that most patients awaiting care at a tertiary pain clinic recruited will use the POP Portal and find it to be acceptable for addressing some of their pain and associated health concerns. If the feasibility of recruiting and retaining patients is demonstrated as anticipated, we will be able to move forward with a multisite study to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the POP Portal among patients waiting for a tertiary care consultation. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/64801.