Photo Credit: Mary Long

Pain coping skills training (PSCT) is beneficial for patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis who are experiencing chronic pain, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Laura M. Dember, MD, and colleagues examined the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral intervention, PSCT, on pain interference. Adults were randomly assigned to PSCT (n=319) or usual care (n=324). The PSCT group had a larger reduction in the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Interference score than the usual care group at week 12 (between-group difference, −0.49). At 24 weeks, the effect persisted (between-group difference in BPI Interference score, −0.48) but was attenuated at week 36 (between-group difference, −0.34). A decrease in BPI Interference score of more than one point (minimal clinically important difference) occurred in 50.9% and 36.6% of patients in the PSCT and usual care groups, respectively, at 12 weeks and in 55.0% versus 42.8%, respectively, at 24 weeks (ORs, 1.79 and 1.59, respectively). For secondary outcomes, favorable changes were also seen for PSCT.