Carole C. Upshur

Primary care provider concerns about management of chronic pain in community clinic populations.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a common patient complaint in primary care, yet providers and patients are often dissatisfied with treatment processes and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess provider satisfaction with their training for and current management of chronic pain in community clinic settings. To identify perceived problems with delivering chronic pain treatment and issues with opioid prescribing for chronic pain. DESIGN: Mailed survey to primary care providers (PCPs) at 8 community clinics. RESULTS: Respondents (N=111) included attendings, residents, and nurse practioners (NPs)/physician assistants (PAs). They reported 37.5% of adult appointments in a typical week involved patients with chronic pain complaints. They attributed problems with pain care and opioid prescribing more often to patient-related factors such as lack of self-management, and potential for abuse of medication than to provider or practice system factors. Nevertheless, respondents reported inadequate training for, and low satisfaction with, delivering chronic pain treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of adult primary care appointments involve patients with chronic pain complains. Dissatisfaction with training and substantial concerns about patient self-management and about opioid prescribing suggest areas for improving medical education and postgraduate training. Emphasis on patient-centered approaches to chronic pain management, including skills for assessing risk of opioid abuse and addiction, is required.

DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY AND SERVICE DELIVERY

This Monograph presents the results of a nonexperimental, longitudinal investigation of developmental change in 190 infants and their families after 1 year of early intervention services. The Early Intervention Collaborative Study (EICS), conducted in association with 29 community-based programs in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, was designed to assess correlates of adaptation in young children with disabilities and their families over time, to inform social policy by analyzing the influences of family ecology and formal services on child and family outcomes, and to generate conceptual models to guide further investigation. The study sample (mean age at entry = 10.6 months) includes 54 children with Down syndrome, 77 with motor impairment, and 59 with developmental delays of uncertain etiology. Data were collected during two home visits (within 6 weeks of program entry and 12 months later) and included formal child assessments, observations of mother-child interaction, maternal interviews, and questionnaires completed independently by both parents as well as monthly service data collected from service providers. Child and family functioning varied considerably. Developmental change in the children (psychomotor abilities, adaptive behavior, spontaneous play, and child-mother interaction skills) was influenced to some extent by gestational age and health characteristics, but the strongest predictor of change was the relative severity of the childs psychomotor impairment at study entry. Families demonstrated generally positive and stable adaptation (in terms of the effect of rearing a child with disabilities on the family, parenting stress, and social support), despite persistent challenges with respect to mother-child interaction and differences in reported stress between mothers and fathers. Documentation of services revealed that early intervention is a complex and multidimensional experience that spans multiple public and private systems. Vulnerable and resilient subgroups within the sample were identified, and different correlates of adaptive change were demonstrated. Results of data analyses suggest new perspectives on the study of early childhood disability. The implications of the findings for developmental theory and social policy are discussed.

They Don't Want Anything to Do with You: Patient Views of Primary Care Management of Chronic Pain

OBJECTIVE Chronic pain is one of the most frequent complaints of patients in primary care, yet both patients and providers report low satisfaction with chronic pain care. This study was designed to explore the views held by a diverse sample of patients with chronic pain complaints about their care experiences to identify ways to improve care. DESIGN Qualitative analysis of 17 patient focus groups (size 3-7 participants). Groups used structured questions and were tape recorded, transcribed, and coded using qualitative software. Eleven groups were conducted in English, six groups in Spanish. PATIENTS Convenience sample of 72 adult patients (68% female, 44% Latino, mean age=48.1 years) recruited from four diverse primary care practices in Central Massachusetts. RESULTS Across all 17 groups, and all gender, ethnicity, and age groups, most patients reported suboptimal interactions with their providers when seeking care for chronic pain. Subjects acknowledged feeling disrespected and distrusted, suspected of drug-seeking, and having their symptoms dismissed as trivial and/or not warranting medical care. Patients reported more satisfaction when they felt a provider listened to them, trusted them, was accessible to address pain concerns between visits, and used patient-centered approaches to establish goals and treatment plans. Patients also recommended some management techniques related to the chronic disease management model to improve pain care. CONCLUSIONS Implementing patient-centered approaches in caring for individuals with chronic pain and using principles drawn from the chronic disease management model to improve care systems may improve both patient and provider satisfaction with chronic pain care.

Adaptation during early childhood among mothers of children with disabilities.

This study documents the extent to which child-related and parenting stress vary during the early childhood period among mothers of children with developmental disabilities. The degree to which specific aspects of the family environment predict stress levels measured at age 3 years and 5 years, after controlling for child characteristics and family income, is also investigated. The Parenting Stress Index was completed by 79 mothers of children with developmental disabilities at three time points: (1) within 1 month of the childs entry into an early intervention program (T1); (2) within 1 month of the childs third birthday (T3); and (3) within 1 month of the childs fifth birthday (T5). Data on child characteristics and family income as well as measures of the family environment (i.e., negative life events, cohesion, and family support) were gathered at both T1 and T3. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess whether there was significant change in the child-related and parenting stress scores across the three time points. Two sets of hierarchical regression equations were also analyzed. The first examined which child, family, and family environment characteristics assessed at T1 predicted stress at T3. The second identified the predictors of T5 stress based on independent variables measured at T3. Child-related stress increased significantly across the three time points, whereas parenting stress remained fairly stable. By age 5 years, one-third of the mothers had child-related stress scores above the clinical cutoff point. Regression analyses revealed the importance of the family environment in predicting both stress outcomes. The only statistically significant predictor of child-related stress at T3 was family cohesion, whereas parenting stress at T3 was predicted by income, cohesion, and family support. The predictors of both child-related and parenting stress at T5 were the same. Greater family cohesion and fewer negative life events predicted lower stress scores at T5. The significant increase in child-related stress during the early childhood period warrants attention by pediatricians, educators, and other professionals who must evaluate the needs of families of children with disabilities for supportive services. Aspects of the family environment were shown to be critical and consistent determinants of both child-related and parenting stress throughout the early childhood period. This finding suggests that pediatricians, in particular, must assess more than simply the diagnosis or the cognitive impairment of the child with a disability to make informed decisions about the frequency with which they should see particular families and whether referral to other services is necessary.

Family Influences on Adaptive Development in Young Children with Down Syndrome

In this study we investigated the extent to which the family environment predicted differences in trajectories of adaptive development in young children with Down syndrome. The sample was comprised of 54 children with Down syndrome and their families who were studied from infancy through the age of 5 years as part of a longitudinal study of children with disabilities. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to estimate the parameters of hierarchical growth models in domains of adaptive development. Results indicated that growth in communication, daily living skills, and socialization domains were predicted by measures of the family environment (i.e., family cohesion and mother-child interaction) above and beyond that predicted by maternal education. Further, Bayley MDI measures during infancy did not predict changes in adaptive development in any of the domains. The results are discussed in terms of implications for service provision and for expanding theoretical frameworks to include the development of children with disabilities.

The effects of the classroom environment on the social and mastery behavior of preschool children with disabilities

One hundred fifty-three children with disabilities (49 with Down syndrome, 57 with motor impairment, and 47 with developmental delays) were observed in a total of 148 preschool classrooms. Social interaction with peers and teachers, strategies employed in attempts to master tasks, and use of time in the classroom were recorded by trained blind observers using a modified time sampling procedure. Analyses indicated significant relations between childrens classroom behavior and three selected classroom characteristics—degree of integration, teacher-child ratio, and the extent to which children could choose activities. The findings have programmatic and policy implications for the education of young children with disabilities.

Mothers' and Fathers' Ratings of the Benefits of Early Intervention Services:

Ratings of early intervention services received by 91 mothers and fathers were analyzed one year after entry to programs in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. While a high level of helpfulness was indicated, service components directed specifically to parents instead of to parents and children together were rated less favorably. In addition, mothers and fathers differed in their ratings, and the weighting of perceived benefits varied by child and family characteristics. Implications for flexible and individualized program planning to meet differing family needs, and specifically to focus on the needs of fathers, are discussed, as well as the need for periodic solicitation of feedback from both mothers and fathers as part of program evaluation activities.

Challenges of Implementing Depression Care Management in the Primary Care Setting

Empirical evidence shows that care management is an effective tool for improving depression treatment in primary care patients. However, several conceptual and practical issues have not been sufficiently addressed. This article explores questions concerning the scope of care management services within the chronic illness care model; optimal ways to identify depressed patients in the primary care setting; responsibilities and desirable qualifications of depression care managers; the location and manner in which care managers interact with patients; costs of services provided by care managers; and the level of supervision by mental health specialists that is necessary to ensure quality care.

Early Intervention Efficacy Research What Have We Learned and Where Do We Go From Here

This article describes a variety of conceptual and methodological limitations of existing research on the efficacy of early intervention programs. Problems related to the specification of both independent and dependent variables are noted, and recent studies using meta-analytic techniques to generate testable hypotheses are reviewed. Recommendations for greater precision in measurement and for improved research design are presented. Finally, some reasons for the persistence of common problems in program evaluation are offered in conjunction with suggestions for future research efforts.

The Impact of Parent Groups on Mothers of Infants with Disabilities

This paper examines the correlates and consequences of participation in professionally-organized parent groups for 150 mothers receiving early intervention services for their infants and toddlers with disabilities. Results revealed that participants in parent groups had higher educational levels than nonparticipants and reported larger increases in the size and helpfulness of their social support networks. Intensity of participation in parent groups, however, was associated with both positive and negative outcomes for maternal functioning and social support Implications of these findings for the use of parent groups in early intervention programs are discussed.