PiPiN project Version 1.0

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Ambulance staff assessment of pain in people living with dementia - PiPiN study

• IRAS ID

  348611

• Contact name

  Sarah Voss

• Contact email

  sarah.voss@uwe.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of the West of England

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  N/A, N/A

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Aim
  To understand the challenges of pain assessment in people with dementia and develop a dementia pain assessment tool tailored for out-of-hospital care. By allowing clinicians to perform adequate pain assessment and management, the patient experience and outcome should be positively impacted.

  Background
  Pain remains one of the leading complaints seen in out-of-hospital emergency care. Current evidence suggests that pain assessment in people with dementia is inadequate. The effectiveness of pain assessment tools suggested for use in out-of-hospital emergency care is questionable. The evidence supporting the use of these tools is weak, and no tool is tailored for out-of-hospital care to assess pain in people with dementia.

  Research questions
  What items can be identified from the existing evidence that could be included in a tool specifically designed to assess pain in people with dementia?
  What items could be identified by interviewing patients/carers and paramedics that could be the barriers or enablers to the pain assessment in people with dementia in out-of-hospital care?
  What are the most important items from the lists identified in stages 1 and 2 to include in a dementia pain tool tailored for out-of-hospital emergency care?
  What is the practicality of the newly developed tool compared to usual pain assessment methods?

  Methods
  A mixed-method study consisting of four stages

  Patient, public and expert involvement
  The study will establish two advisory committees—the Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) and the Public Advisory Committee (PAC)—to consult field experts related to this area and help better understand the complexities of pain assessment in people with dementia.

  Dissemination
  The study results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal to ensure academic dissemination. The results will be disseminated to the public and clinicians through social media and communicated to SWASFT to allow broader tool trials with the aim of national rollout.

• REC name

  London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  25/LO/0087

• Date of REC Opinion

  16 Apr 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion