Involvement in compensation litigation and outcome from an online pain management program

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Clinical Psychology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Internet-delivered pain management programs offer accessible treatment options.
• Civil litigation can impact patient health outcomes and treatment engagement.
• Understanding litigation's effect is crucial for optimizing pain management interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the influence of civil litigation involvement on patient outcomes in an online pain management program.
• To compare treatment results for patients with ongoing litigation, resolved litigation, and no litigation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an Internet-delivered pain management program.
• Compared changes in depression, anxiety, and disability scores (PHQ-9, GAD-7, RMDQ) from baseline to 3-month follow-up.
• Analyzed opioid medication use at assessment and follow-up.

Main Results:

• Patients with ongoing litigation showed higher depression scores and greater opioid use.
• Treatment completion and symptom improvement were lower for current litigants.
• Effect sizes for symptom improvement ranged from 0.56 to 0.73, with reduced opioid use.

Conclusions:

• Ongoing compensation litigation is linked to reduced treatment completion and symptom improvement in online pain programs.
• Despite challenges, the program demonstrated positive effects for individuals in litigation.
• Findings are relevant for improving care for pain patients involved in workers' compensation and legal proceedings.