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The following is a summary of “Using the Socioecological Model to Understand Medical Staff and Older Adult Patients’ Experience with Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Study in an Underserved Community Setting,” published in the November 2024 issue of Pain by McDermott et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors associated with chronic pain as perceived by older adults (OA) and medical staff in a community clinic.
They organized 4 focus groups and 2 interviews with medical staff (n=25), 3 focus groups, and 7 individual interviews with OA individuals with chronic pain (n=18). Participants were purposively selected from an ethnically and economically diverse primary care clinic in the greater Boston area. The transcriptions were made of the assessments, and data were thematically analyzed using a hybrid deductive-inductive approach.
The results showed 3 individual-level themes: OAs with complex care needs, pain’s impact on physical, emotional, work, and identity functioning, and coping strategies for pain. At the interpersonal level, themes emerged around social support and relationships with medical staff. At the community level, the need for additional resources and culturally informed care was highlighted. The socioeconomic status was identified as a critical factor influencing the availability of resources for managing chronic pain at the societal level.
Investigators concluded the OAs from underserved communities experiencing chronic pain were impacted by an interplay of individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors.
