Antcliff, D, Keenan, A-M, Keeley, P, Woby, S and McGowan, L (2021) Testing a newly developed activity pacing framework for chronic pain/fatigue: a feasibility study. BMJ Open, 11 (12). e045398 - ?. ISSN 2044-6055

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To test the feasibility of using a new activity pacing framework to standardise healthcare professionals' instructions of pacing, and explore whether measures of activity pacing/symptoms detected changes following treatment. DESIGN: Single-arm, repeated measures study. SETTING: One National Health Service (NHS) Pain Service in Northern England, UK. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients with chronic pain/fatigue, including chronic low back pain, chronic widespread pain, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. INTERVENTIONS: Six-week rehabilitation programme, standardised using the activity pacing framework. OUTCOME MEASURES: Feasibility was explored via patients' recruitment/attrition rates, adherence and satisfaction, and healthcare professionals' fidelity. Questionnaire data were collected from patients at the start and end of the programme (T1 and T2, respectively) and 3 months' follow-up (T3). Questionnaires included measures of activity pacing, current/usual pain, physical/mental fatigue, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, avoidance, physical/mental function and quality of life. Mean changes in activity pacing and symptoms between T1-T2, T2-T3 and T1-T3 were estimated. RESULTS: Of the 139 eligible patients, 107 patients consented (recruitment rate=77%); 65 patients completed T2 (T1-T2 attrition rate=39%), and 52 patients completed T3 (T1-T3 attrition rate=51%). At T2, patients' satisfaction ratings averaged 9/10, and 89% attended ≥5 rehabilitation programme sessions. Activity pacing and all symptoms improved between T1 and T2, with smaller improvements maintained at T3. CONCLUSION: The activity pacing framework was feasible to implement and patients' ability to pace and manage their symptoms improved. Future work will employ a suitable comparison group and test the framework across wider settings to explore the effects of activity pacing in a randomised controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03497585.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Nursing and Midwifery
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Symplectic
Date Deposited: 22 Dec 2021 10:48
Last Modified: 11 Feb 2022 16:27
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/10437

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