Managing Non-Cancer Chronic Pain in Frail Older Adults: A Pilot Study Based on a Multidisciplinary Approach

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pain Management
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Chronic pain is complex and challenging to manage, especially in older adults with frailty.
• Existing evidence-based guidelines for comprehensive chronic pain management are limited.
• Older adults with pre-frailty and frailty often experience multidimensional chronic pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a 4-month intervention designed to enhance the management of non-cancer chronic pain in older adults with frailty.
• To assess the intervention's impact on pain frequency, intensity, frailty, and medication adherence.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 22 participants aged 65 years and older.
• Intervention included a multidisciplinary individualized plan, a dedicated case manager, and patient education.
• Assessed changes in pain (scale), frailty (Fried criteria), and medication adherence (Brief Adherence Rating Scale) pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• A trend towards decreased pain frequency and intensity was observed.
• Frailty scores showed a tendency to decrease post-intervention.
• Significant improvements in medication adherence were recorded.

Conclusions:

• The multidisciplinary, patient-centered intervention shows promise for managing chronic pain in frail older adults.
• Preliminary findings support further research into the scalability of this approach.
• This pilot study provides a foundation for developing more effective chronic pain management strategies in geriatric populations.