What is the Personal Impact of Activity Pacing?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What is the Personal Impact of Activity Pacing? An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of People Living with Persistent Pain.
IRAS ID
274696
Contact name
Alan Bowman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 24 days
Research summary
The purpose of the research is to understand the personal meaning and impact of activity pacing with individuals in persistent pain. Activity pacing is an intervention used to help modify activity levels in a structured way, aiming to improved functioning and reduce pain flare-ups. Current research into activity pacing is inconsistent; outcome studies are mixed, and patients report barriers to adopting activity pacing in their lives. Qualitative methods such as Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) have been identified as a useful approach to understanding why some people may respond well to an intervention, and others not. Andrews et al., (2015) used this approach pain patients in a tertiary care setting in order to develop a deep understanding of overactivity in people with persistent pain, and their experience of applying activity pacing strategies in their lives. The authors acknowledged that one of the shortcomings of this study was the relatively brief duration of the interviews, meaning that the depth of the findings of this study may be limited. The current study aims to address and build on the findings of Andrews et al. (2015) by a) using an innovative method of data collection (photo-elicitation), and b) conducting the investigation in a secondary care pain management setting, to broaden the knowledge gained from Andrews et al., (2015) which was conducted in a tertiary care setting. The study will investigate adults under the care of a secondary care pain management service, and participants are eligible if they have undertaken an activity pacing intervention in the last 12 months. Participants will be required to take photographs that they feel represent their experiences of activity pacing. These photographs will then form the basis of a semi-structured face-to-face interview, which will last approximately 60 minutes. The data will be analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0100
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion