Longitudinal Associations of Family Relationship Quality With Chronic Pain Incidence and Persistence Among Aging African Americans.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines how family relationships convey risk or resilience for pain outcomes for aging African Americans, and to replicate and extend analyses across 2 nationally representative studies of aging health. METHODS: African American participants in Midlife in the United States (MIDUS, N = 755) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 2,585) self-reported chronic pain status at 2006 waves and then again 10 years later. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of pain incidence and persistence explained by family, intimate partner, and parent-child strain and support, as well as average support and average strain across relationships. RESULTS: On average, MIDUS participants were younger (M = 52.35, SD = 12.06; 62.1% female) than HRS (M = 66.65, SD = 10.92; 63.7% female). Family support and average support were linked to decreased odds of pain incidence in MIDUS, but only when tested without accounting for strain, whereas parent-child strain was a risk factor for pain incidence in HRS, as was average strain. Family support protected against pain persistence in MIDUS, whereas average support was linked to reduced odds of pain persisting in HRS. DISCUSSION: Chronic pain outcomes are worse for African Americans for a number of reasons, but parent-child strain may contribute to the risk of new pain developing over time for older adults. Conversely, family support may offer a protective benefit for pain incidence and persistence among aging African Americans. Findings implicate family relationships as a potential target of pain management interventions.

A domain-oriented approach to characterizing movement-evoked pain.

Introduction: Movement-evoked pain (MEP) impacts a substantial proportion of US adults living with chronic pain. Evidence suggests that MEP is influenced by numerous biopsychosocial factors and mediated by mechanisms differing from those of spontaneous pain. However, both characteristic and mechanistic knowledge of MEP remain limited, hindering effective diagnosis and treatment. Objectives: We asked (1) can chronic pain, functional, psychosocial, and behavioral measures be grouped into descriptive domains that characterize MEP? and (2) what relationships exist between biopsychosocial factors across multiple domains of MEP? Methods: We formed 6 characteristic domains from 46 MEP-related variables in a secondary analysis of data from 178 individuals (aged 45-85 years) with knee pain. Ratings of pain during 3 functional activities (ie, Balance, Walking, Chair Stand) were used as primary MEP variables. Pearson correlations were calculated to show linear relationships between all individual domain variables. Relationships between variables were further investigated through weighted correlation network analysis. Results: We observed a unique combination of pain characteristics associated with MEP apart from general pain. Notably, minutes doing physical activity were inversely associated with multiple variables within 4 of the 6 domains. Weighted correlation network analysis largely supported our classification of MEP domains. Additional interdomain relationships were observed, with the strongest existing between MEP, Mechanical Pain, and Multiple Pain Characteristics and Symptoms. Additional relationships were observed both within and between other domains of the network. Conclusion: Our analyses bolster fundamental understanding of MEP by identifying relevant mechanistic domains and elucidating biopsychosocial and interdomain relationships.

Through the Lens of Movement-Evoked Pain: A Theoretical Framework of the "Pain-Movement Interface" to Guide Research and Clinical Care for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions.

Over 120 million Americans report experiencing pain in the past 3 months. Among these individuals, 50 million report chronic pain and 17 million report pain that limits daily life or work activities on most days (ie, high-impact chronic pain). Musculoskeletal pain conditions in particular are a major contributor to global disability, health care costs, and poor quality of life. Movement-evoked pain (MEP) is an important and distinct component of the musculoskeletal pain experience and represents an emerging area of study in pain and rehabilitation fields. This focus article proposes the "Pain-Movement Interface" as a theoretical framework of MEP that highlights the interface between MEP, pain interference, and activity engagement. The goal of the framework is to expand knowledge about MEP by guiding scientific inquiry into MEP-specific pathways to disability, high-risk clinical phenotypes, and underlying individual influences that may serve as treatment targets. This framework reinforces the dynamic nature of MEP within the context of activity engagement, participation in life and social roles, and the broader pain experience. Recommendations for MEP evaluation, encompassing the spectrum from high standardization to high patient specificity, and MEP-targeted treatments are provided. Overall, the proposed framework and recommendations reflect the current state of science in this emerging area of study and are intended to support future efforts to optimize musculoskeletal pain management and enhance patient outcomes. PERSPECTIVE: Movement-evoked pain (MEP) is a distinct component of the musculoskeletal pain experience and emerging research area. This article introduces the "Pain-Movement Interface" as a theoretical framework of MEP, highlighting the interface between MEP, pain interference, and activity engagement. Evaluating and treating MEP could improve rehabilitation approaches and enhance patient outcomes.

Racial disparities in septic shock mortality: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with septic shock have the highest risk of death from sepsis, however, racial disparities in mortality outcomes in this cohort have not been rigorously investigated. Our objective was to describe the association between race/ethnicity and mortality in patients with septic shock. Methods: Our study is a retrospective cohort study of adult patients in the OneFlorida Data Trust (Florida, United States of America) admitted with septic shock between January 2012 and July 2018. We identified patients as having septic shock if they received vasopressors during their hospital encounter and had either an explicit International Classification of Disease (ICD) code for sepsis, or had an infection ICD code and received intravenous antibiotics. Our primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Our secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multiple logistic regression with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) for variable selection was used to assess associations. Findings: There were 13,932 patients with septic shock in our cohort. The mean age was 61 years (SD 16), 68% of the cohort identified as White (n = 9419), 28% identified as Black (n = 3936), 2% (n = 294) identified as Hispanic ethnicity, and 2% as other races not specified in the previous groups (n = 283). In our logistic regression model for 90-day mortality, patients identified as Black had 1.57 times the odds of mortality (95% CI 1.07-2.29, p = 0.02) compared to White patients. Other significant predictors included mechanical ventilation (OR 3.66, 95% CI 3.35-4.00, p < 0.01), liver disease (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.59-1.93, p < 0.01), laboratory components of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.16-1.21, p < 0.01), lactate (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.08-1.12, p < 0.01), congestive heart failure (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.30, p < 0.01), human immunodeficiency virus (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.75, p = 0.03), age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.04-1.04, p < 0.01), and the interaction between age and race (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99-1.00, p < 0.01). Among younger patients (<45 years), patients identified as Black accounted for a higher proportion of the deaths. Results were similar in the in-hospital mortality model. Interpretation: In this retrospective study of septic shock patients, we found that patients identified as Black had higher odds of mortality compared to patients identified as non-Hispanic White. Our findings suggest that the greatest disparities in mortality are among younger Black patients with septic shock. Funding: National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (1KL2TR001429); National Institute of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences (1K23GM144802).

A progressive agenda toward equity in pain care.

Background: There are inconsistencies documenting the pain experience of Black adults and other racially minoritized populations. Often disregarded, pain among these groups is characterized by misconceptions, biases, and discriminatory practices, which may lead to inequitable pain care. Methods: To address this issue, this professional commentary provides an overview of pain reform and the need to declare chronic pain as a critical public health issue, while requiring that equity be a key focus in providing comprehensive pain screening and standardizing epidemiological surveillance to understand the prevalence and incidence of pain. Results and Conclusions: This roadmap is a call to action for all sectors of research, practice, policy, education, and advocacy. More importantly, this progressive agenda is timely for all race and other marginalized groups and reminds us that adequate treatment of pain is an obligation that cannot be the responsibility of one person, community, or institution, but rather a collective responsibility of those willing to service the needs of all individuals.

Experiences of Pain Management Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The knowledge and skills of pain management nurses positions them well to manage people's pain and provide critical services to patients with COVID-19. AIM: To understand the personal and professional experiences and the support pain management nurses received during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Between July 2020 and 2021, data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews from members of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Content analysis was used. RESULTS: Eighteen pain management nurses who worked during the early stages of the pandemic were interviewed. Three main categories were identified: experiencing stress and burden, pain management strategies changed, learning to cope with support. Pain management nurses reported fear of exposure, difficulties with staff shortages, the complex social milieu, and how pain management took a backseat to other symptoms of COVID-19. They coped through support from their colleagues, organizational leaders, and community members. Pain management nurses provided recommendations for future care of patients' pain during a pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Pain management nurses shared their professional and personal experiences and the support they received while managing patients' pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their experiences provided findings on the importance of pain management and to support nurses during personal and professional vulnerabilities during crises. Key recommendations on the care of patients' pain in future pandemics included developing expertise in pain management and health-related emergencies; engaging nurses in supportive mental health services, infectious disease testing, and vaccine efforts; and planning for surge capacity to reach out to underserved people living with pain.

CE: Overcoming Movement-Evoked Pain to Facilitate Postoperative Recovery.

ABSTRACT: Severe postoperative movement-evoked pain (MEP) can be immobilizing, instilling in patients the fear that further activity will produce unbearable pain. This impedes healing and restoration of function while also extending time to recovery. Therefore, it is critical to manage MEP effectively through timely evaluation and comprehensive care planning. This article builds on recent calls to standardize testing of MEP to inform care planning in a way that both reduces pain and improves functioning. Subsequent reassessment of MEP can guide the refinement of therapy. Although this approach may seem intuitive, it challenges common practices that focus too heavily on pain intensity, resulting in overtreating, undertreating, or not treating pain, while ignoring the risks of immobility and the importance of movement for improving functional capacity. The authors propose a multifaceted approach to overcoming MEP that nurse clinicians, educators, researchers, and compliance professionals can use to enhance the quality and safety of nursing practice.

Care, lead, and inspire: Infusing innovation into nursing research and evidence-based practice course.

BACKGROUND: Today's nursing workforce is expected to know how to identify and understand research methods and procedures and apply the most current evidence into daily practice. However, teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) in an undergraduate nursing curriculum poses unique challenges in overcoming students' perception of content relevancy to their educational experience, but also offers opportunities for innovation to facilitate critical thinking and clinical application. AIMS: The aim of this article is to report on how teaching and learning innovation was infused into a research and evidence-based practice course and the effect on students' perceptions of course values and effectiveness. METHODS: We used a Plan-Do-Study-Act approach to introduce innovation in an undergraduate course within a university setting. Final student course evaluations were used to measure outcomes on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = low and 5 = high) on the following dimensions: (1) value of overall educational experience, (2) relevancy of course content, (3) improvement in critical thinking, and (4) level of student-instructor interaction. RESULTS: Overall course evaluation scores improved greatly from 2.69 to 3.90 between Spring 2020 and Fall 2021. This finding remained relatively consistent across subsequent semesters (3.79 [Spring 2022], 3.84 [Fall 2022]). Students also reported appreciation and increased engagement and interest with the material after transitioning from examinations to a project-based assignment that allowed them to walk through the steps of EBP in class. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: We identified and implemented several innovative strategies to improve student outcomes and increase the relevance of the course content. These innovations can be easily incorporated at other universities to enhance delivery and student engagement in this content that is essential to advancing quality care in nursing and developing future nurse scientists and practice leaders who care, lead, and inspire.

Original Research: The Impact of COVID-19 on Pain Care Among Older Adults.

PURPOSE: In this qualitative descriptive study, we sought to understand the professional experiences and perceptions of pain management nurses who cared for older adults in the United States during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Data were collected between July 2020 and July 2021 through individual, semistructured interviews with a nonprobability sample of 18 pain management nurses. An inductive content analysis approach, in which categories were derived from a coding process based on a close reading of data extracts from the interview transcripts, was used to reveal the major theme related to the study aim. RESULTS: Notwithstanding the variable consequences of COVID-19 on patients' health, a single overarching theme was pronounced: "Pain management for older adults remained unchanged during the pandemic despite unpredictable survival, restrictions on human interactions, and communication challenges." This theme was supported by four categories that emerged from the data: unpredictable survival, restriction-induced isolation, perceived continuity and equality of pain management, and communication challenges. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, pain management nurses stepped in and joined interdisciplinary teams providing general and specialized pain care to ensure that older adults, whether inpatient or outpatient, continued to receive quality care. These study findings highlight the many challenges pain management nurses faced during this unprecedented public health crisis, as well as opportunities to improve the health system and enhance nursing practice to meet the needs of older patients.

A historical review of pain disparities research: Advancing toward health equity and empowerment.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This theory-guided review draws on 30 years of published data to examine and interrogate the current and future state of pain disparities research. METHODS: Using the Hierarchy of Health Disparity Research framework, we synthesize and present an overview of "three generations" of pain disparities scholarship, while proposing directions for adopting a "fourth generation" that redefines, explains, and theorizes future pain disparities research in a diverse society. DISCUSSION: Prior research has focused on describing the scope of disparities, and throughout the historical context of human existence, racialized groups have been subjected to inadequate pain care. It is imperative that research not only illuminates existing problems but also provides solutions that can be implemented and sustained across varying social milieus. CONCLUSION: We must invest in new theoretical models that expand on current perspectives and ideals that position all individuals at the forefront of justice and equity in their health.

Interrupting Biases in the Experience and Management of Pain Nurses can help address challenges faced by racially and ethnically diverse patients and caregivers.

This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home. The articles in this new installment of the series provide practical information nurses can share with family caregivers of persons living with pain. To use this series, nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses. Cite this article as: Booker, S.Q., et al. Interrupting Biases in the Experience and Management of Pain. Am J Nurs 2022; 122(9): 48-54.

Pain hygiene: A content analysis of student nurses' perspectives.

Pain hygiene (PH) is a new concept that has not been well-defined. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to understand this newly developed concept. Based on the responses from 78 students, the perceptions of the meaning of the term "pain hygiene" and differences between the term "pain hygiene" and "sleep hygiene" through their participation in open-ended surveys was described. Using content analysis, four themes emerged to present students' meaning of the term "pain hygiene": prevention of worsening of pain; cleanliness or hygiene practices to manage pain; self-care to manage pain; and physical and psychological management of pain. Two themes emerged illustrating differences between PH and sleep hygiene: practices that contribute to a better quality of life and condition, and better sleep with no pain. As a newly developing concept, PH can be used to make changes in pain assessment, prevention, and pain management strategies for all people with pain, which can enrich their quality of life and bring change in pain care outcomes.

Interrupting Biases in the Experience and Management of Pain.

This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home. The articles in this new installment of the series provide practical information nurses can share with family caregivers of persons living with pain. To use this series, nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.