Biomedical subjects

Judith A Turner

Publications and source records attributed to Judith A Turner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Opioid dosing trends and mortality in Washington State workers' compensation, 1996-2002.

BACKGROUND: The use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain has increased in the United States since state laws were relaxed in the late 1990s. These policy changes occurred despite scanty scientific evidence that chronic use of opioids was safe and effective. METHODS: We examined opiate prescriptions and dosing patterns (from computerized databases, 1996 to 2002), and accidental poisoning deaths attributable to opioid use (from death certificates, 1995 to 2002), in the Washington State workers' compensation system. RESULTS: Opioid prescriptions increased only modestly between 1996 and 2002. However, prescriptions for the most potent opioids (Schedule II), as a percentage of all scheduled opioid prescriptions (II, III, and IV), increased from 19.3% in 1996 to 37.2% in 2002. Among long-acting opioids, the average daily morphine equivalent dose increased by 50%, to 132 mg/day. Thirty-two deaths were definitely or probably related to accidental overdose of opioids. The majority of deaths involved men (84%) and smokers (69%). CONCLUSIONS: The reasons for escalating doses of the most potent opioids are unknown, but it is possible that tolerance or opioid-induced abnormal pain sensitivity may be occurring in some workers who use opioids for chronic pain. Opioid-related deaths in this population may be preventable through use of prudent guidelines regarding opioid use for chronic pain.

Accidents↗

PubMed2005

Electronic diary assessment of pain-related variables: is reactivity a problem?

UNLABELLED: Reactive measures (measures that change the phenomenon assessed) cause problems in interpreting any changes observed. This study examined whether electronic daily diary measures of pain, activity interference, mood, and pain beliefs were reactive in terms of both observable data and patient-reported effects. Patients with chronic temporomandibular disorder pain (N = 71, 86% female) completed electronic diaries 3 times daily for approximately 2 weeks and subsequently reported perceived effects on symptom-related variables. Seventy-three percent of patients reported that the assessment affected their pain, whereas 51%, 45%, and 39% thought that it affected their daily activities, mood, and beliefs, respectively. In contrast, there was little objective evidence of reactivity as observed in the electronic diary ratings; changes over 14 days were small (eg, predicted changes on 0 to 10 scales: positive mood, .1; pain, -.3; perceived control, -.5) and not statistically significant. Subjective reactivity was generally not significantly related to objective reactivity. The data suggest that patients view daily assessment as having positive and negative effects on pain-related variables, but pain-related measures do not show reactive effects. PERSPECTIVE: Electronic daily diary assessment methods hold the potential to increase knowledge concerning patients' experiences with pain and sequential relations between pain-related variables, but only if the measurement process is nonreactive. This study provides evidence that electronic diary assessment of pain-related variables is nonreactive.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Self-efficacy for managing pain is associated with disability, depression, and pain coping among retirement community residents with chronic pain.

UNLABELLED: Little is known about cognitive and behavioral factors that influence older adults' adjustment to chronic pain. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of self-efficacy for managing pain to reports of pain intensity, pain-related disability, depressive symptoms, and pain coping strategy use among 140 retirement community residents (88% female; age mean = 81.7, range 66-99 years) with chronic pain. The 8-item Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, modified to specify pain rather than arthritis, demonstrated good psychometric characteristics (Cronbach alpha = .89, minimal floor and ceiling effects, and validity) in this sample. Controlling for age, gender, and pain intensity, self-efficacy was associated significantly and negatively with pain-related disability and depressive symptoms (P values < .001), and positively with use of pain coping strategies previously found to be associated with better outcomes (task persistence, exercise/stretch, coping self-statements, activity pacing; P values < .05). Self-efficacy for managing pain appears to be important in the adjustment of older adults with pain. Research is needed to determine whether interventions designed to increase self-efficacy improve quality of life and prevent functional declines in this population. PERSPECTIVE: Among retirement community residents (mean age of 82 years) with chronic pain, higher self-efficacy for managing pain is associated with less disability and depression and with the use of pain coping strategies related to better adjustment. This suggests the potential value of interventions to increase self-efficacy in this population.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

A trial of an activating intervention for chronic back pain in primary care and physical therapy settings.

In primary care and physical therapy settings, we evaluated an intervention for chronic back pain patients which incorporated fear reducing and activating techniques. Primary care patients seen for back pain in primary care were screened to identify persons with significant activity limitations 8-10 weeks after their visit. Eligible and willing patients were randomized (N=240). A brief, individualized program to reduce fear and increase activity levels was delivered by a psychologist and physical therapists. Over a 2 year follow-up period, intervention patients reported greater reductions in pain-related fear (P<0.01), average pain (P<0.01) and activity limitations due to back pain (P<0.01) relative to control patients. The percent with greater than a one-third reduction in Roland Disability Questionnaire scores at 6 months was 42% among Intervention patients and 24% among control patients (P<0.01). Over the 2 year follow-up, fewer intervention patients reported 30 or more days unable to carry out usual activities in the prior 3 months (P<0.01). The adjusted mean difference in activity limitation days was 4.5 days at 6 months, 2.8 days at 12 months, and 6.9 days at 24 months. No differences were observed in the percent unemployed or the percent receiving worker's compensation or disability benefits, but these outcomes were relatively uncommon. We conclude that an intervention integrating fear reducing and activating interventions into care for chronic back pain patients produced sustained reductions in patient fears, common activity limitations related to back pain, and days missed from usual activities due to back pain.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Brief cognitive-behavioral therapy for temporomandibular disorder pain: effects on daily electronic outcome and process measures.

We used patient daily electronic ratings of outcome (activity interference, pain intensity, jaw use limitations, negative mood) and process (pain-related beliefs, catastrophizing, and coping) variables to evaluate a brief cognitive-behavioral (CB) treatment for chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. TMD clinic patients (N=158) were assigned randomly to four biweekly sessions of either CB pain management training (PMT) or an education/attention control condition [self-care management (SCM)] and were asked to complete electronic interviews three times daily for the 8-week treatment. We analyzed diary data from 126 participants who completed >50% of requested interviews for >6 weeks. Multilevel regression analyses indicated no statistically significant difference between the study groups in rate of within-subject change over time on the daily outcome measures, but consistently greater within-subject improvement in the PMT group on the daily process measures. Significantly (P<0.05) greater proportions of PMT than of SCM patients showed clinically important (>50%) improvement from weeks 1 to 8 in daily activity interference and jaw use limitations. This study is novel in its application of electronic diary methods for assessing outcome and process variables in a chronic pain treatment trial, and supports the feasibility and utility of such methods. The brief CB treatment was efficacious in decreasing catastrophizing and increasing perceived control over pain, and in improving activity interference and jaw use limitations for a subgroup of patients. Longer-term follow-ups are ongoing to determine if there is an impact on outcomes over time.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Stress is associated with subsequent pain and disability among men with nonbacterial prostatitis/pelvic pain.

BACKGROUND: Nonbacterial prostatitis is a syndrome characterized by persistent pelvic area pain in men with or without voiding symptoms. Its causes are poorly understood, and evidence-based treatments are lacking. Although psychological stress has been proposed as an etiological factor, the literature lacks prospective studies using standardized measures to examine associations between stress and male pelvic pain problems over time. PURPOSE: This study examined whether perceived stress was associated longitudinally with pain intensity and pain-related disability in a sample of men with nonbacterial prostatitis/pelvic pain. METHODS: Men (N = 224) completed measures of perceived stress, pain intensity, and pain-related disability 1 month after a health care visit with a new nonbacterial prostatitis/pelvic pain diagnosis and 3, 6, and 12 months later. RESULTS: Greater perceived stress during the 6 months after the health care visit was associated with greater pain intensity (p = .03) and disability (p = .003) at 12 months, even after controlling for age, symptom duration, and pain and disability during the first 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support further research into the associations between stress and male pelvic pain syndromes, as well as the assessment of stress in the evaluation of patients with pelvic pain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Catastrophizing is associated with clinical examination findings, activity interference, and health care use among patients with temporomandibular disorders.

AIMS: To examine whether catastrophizing is associated with clinical examination findings, pain-related activity interference, and health care use among patients with pain related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). METHODS: Patients with TMD (n = 338; 87% female; mean age, 37 years) completed measures of pain, pain-related activity interference, health care use, and depression, and received a Research Diagnostic Criteria/ Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) clinical examination from an oral medicine specialist. RESULTS: Catastrophizing was not significantly associated with the more objective clinical examination measures of maximum assisted jaw opening and jaw-joint sounds, but it was associated with the more subjective examination measures (unassisted opening without pain, extraoral muscle site palpation pain severity, joint site palpation pain severity) and with increased TMD-related activity interference and number of health care visits (P values for all < .01). Even after controlling for demographic variables, pain duration, and depression severity, catastrophizing remained significantly associated with extraoral muscle and joint site palpation pain severity and with activity interference and number of health care visits. CONCLUSION: TMD patients who catastrophize have higher scores on clinical examination measures reflecting more widely dispersed and severe pain upon palpation of TMD-related facial muscle and joint sites, as well as greater TMD-related activity interference and health care use. Clinicians should consider screening patients with moderate or greater TMD pain and activity interference for catastrophizing. Cognitive-behavioral interventions may help reduce pain, disability, and health care use of patients who catastrophize.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

Chronic pain self-management for older adults: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN11899548].

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a common and frequently disabling problem in older adults. Clinical guidelines emphasize the need to use multimodal therapies to manage persistent pain in this population. Pain self-management training is a multimodal therapy that has been found to be effective in young to middle-aged adult samples. This training includes education about pain as well as instruction and practice in several management techniques, including relaxation, physical exercise, modification of negative thoughts, and goal setting. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of this therapy in older adult samples. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized, controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a pain self-management training group intervention, as compared with an education-only control condition. Participants are recruited from retirement communities in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and must be 65 years or older and experience persistent, noncancer pain that limits their activities. The primary outcome is physical disability, as measured by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are depression (Geriatric Depression Scale), pain intensity (Brief Pain Inventory), and pain-related interference with activities (Brief Pain Inventory). Randomization occurs by facility to minimize cross-contamination between groups. The target sample size is 273 enrolled, which assuming a 20% attrition rate at 12 months, will provide us with 84% power to detect a moderate effect size of.50 for the primary outcome. DISCUSSION: Few studies have investigated the effects of multimodal pain self-management training among older adults. This randomized controlled trial is designed to assess the efficacy of a pain self-management program that incorporates physical and psychosocial pain coping skills among adults in the mid-old to old-old range.

Clinical Trial↗

PubMed2004

Prediction of chronic disability in work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a prospective, population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Disability associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders is an increasingly serious societal problem. Although most injured workers return quickly to work, a substantial number do not. The costs of chronic disability to the injured worker, his or her family, employers, and society are enormous. A means of accurate early identification of injured workers at risk for chronic disability could enable these individuals to be targeted for early intervention to promote return to work and normal functioning. The purpose of this study is to develop statistical models that accurately predict chronic work disability from data obtained from administrative databases and worker interviews soon after a work injury. Based on these models, we will develop a brief instrument that could be administered in medical or workers' compensation settings to screen injured workers for chronic disability risk. METHODS: This is a population-based, prospective study. The study population consists of workers who file claims for work-related back injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in Washington State. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries claims database is reviewed weekly to identify workers with new claims for work-related back injuries and CTS, and these workers are telephoned and invited to participate. Workers who enroll complete a computer-assisted telephone interview at baseline and one year later. The baseline interview assesses sociodemographic, employment-related, biomedical/health care, legal, and psychosocial risk factors. The follow-up interview assesses pain, disability, and work status. The primary outcome is duration of work disability over the year after claim submission, as assessed by administrative data. Secondary outcomes include work disability status at one year, as assessed by both self-report and work disability compensation status (administrative records). A sample size of 1,800 workers with back injuries and 1,200 with CTS will provide adequate statistical power (0.96 for low back and 0.85 for CTS) to predict disability with an alpha of.05 (two-sided) and a hazard ratio of 1.2. Proportional hazards regression models will be constructed to determine the best combination of predictors of work disability duration at one year. Regression models will also be developed for the secondary outcomes.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

Spinal cord stimulation for patients with failed back surgery syndrome or complex regional pain syndrome: a systematic review of effectiveness and complications.

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in relieving pain and improving functioning for patients with failed back surgery syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). We also reviewed SCS complications. Literature searches yielded 583 articles, of which seven met the inclusion criteria for the review of SCS effectiveness, and 15 others met the criteria only for the review of SCS complications. Two authors independently extracted data from each article, and then resolved discrepancies by discussion. We identified only one randomized trial, which found that physical therapy (PT) plus SCS, compared with PT alone, had a statistically significant but clinically modest effect at 6 and 12 months in relieving pain among patients with CRPS. Similarly, six other studies of much lower methodological quality suggest mild to moderate improvement in pain with SCS. Pain relief with SCS appears to decrease over time. The one randomized trial suggested no benefits of SCS in improving patient functioning. Although life-threatening complications with SCS are rare, other adverse events are frequent. On average, 34% of patients who received a stimulator had an adverse occurrence. We conclude with suggestions for methodologically stronger studies to provide more definitive data regarding the effectiveness of SCS in relieving pain and improving functioning, short- and long-term, among patients with chronic pain syndromes.

Back Pain↗

PubMed2004

Reasons for missing interviews in the daily electronic assessment of pain, mood, and stress.

Electronic diary assessment methods offer the potential to accurately characterize pain and other daily experiences. However, the frequent assessment of experiences over time often results in missing data. It is important to identify systematic reasons for missing data because such a pattern may bias study results and interpretations. We examined the reasons for missing electronic interviews, comparing self-report and data derived from electronic diary responses. Sixty-two patients with temporomandibular disorders were asked to rate pain intensity, pain-related activity interference, jaw use limitations, mood, and perceived stress three times a day for 8 weeks on palmtop computers. Participants also were asked the number of and reason(s) for missing electronic interviews. The average electronic diary completion rate was 91%. The correspondence between self-report and electronic data was high for the overall number of missed electronic interviews (Spearman correlation=0.77, P < 0.0001). The most common self-reported reasons for missing interviews were failure to hear the computer alarm (49%) and inconvenient time (21%). Although there was some suggestion that persistent negative mood and stress were associated with missing electronic interviews in a subgroup of patients, on the whole, the patient demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment, and daily fluctuations in pain, activity interference, mood, and stress were not associated significantly with missing daily electronic interviews. The results provide further support for the use of electronic diary methodology in pain research.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Pain-related catastrophizing: a daily process study.

Little is known about the extent to which individuals vary versus remain stable in their pain-related catastrophizing, or to which catastrophizing is associated with pain and related problems on a daily basis. We used daily electronic interviews to examine the: (1) reliability and validity of a brief daily catastrophizing measure; (2) stability of catastrophizing; (3) patient characteristics associated with catastrophizing; (4) associations between catastrophizing and concurrent and subsequent outcomes (pain, activity interference, jaw use limitations, and negative mood), between and within patients; and (5) associations between pain and subsequent catastrophizing. One hundred patients with chronic temporomandibular disorder pain completed electronic interviews three times a day for 2 weeks [mean (SD) number of interviews=46 (15)]. The catastrophizing scale had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95) and validity (r = 0.65 with the Coping Strategy Questionnaire Catastrophizing scale), and catastrophizing was stable (ICC=0.72) over time. Younger age and greater baseline depression, pain, and disability predicted greater daily catastrophizing. Daily catastrophizing was associated significantly with concurrent outcomes, between- and within-subjects (P < 0.001); however, associations with same-day subsequent outcomes were greatly attenuated after adjusting for prior outcome levels. Similarly, daily pain was associated significantly with subsequent catastrophizing, but this association was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for prior catastrophizing. The data indicate that catastrophizing is stable over short periods of time in the absence of substantial change in pain, and that within patients, times of greater catastrophizing are associated with worse pain, disability, and mood.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2004

Changes in readiness to self-manage pain are associated with improvement in multidisciplinary pain treatment and pain coping.

A patient's readiness to adopt a self-management approach to pain has been hypothesized to increase during multidisciplinary pain treatment and to impact pain coping responses. The Pain Stages of Change Questionnaire (PSOCQ; [J Pain (1997) 227]) was designed to assess four components of readiness to self-manage pain: pre-contemplation, contemplation, action, and maintenance. We tested three hypotheses concerning this construct in two different samples of patients with chronic pain: (1) readiness to self-manage pain, as assessed by the PSOCQ, would increase from pre-multidisciplinary pain treatment to post-treatment and follow-up; (2) changes in readiness to self-manage pain measured pre-treatment to post-treatment and follow-up would be associated with changes in the use of pain coping strategies; and (3) increases in readiness to self-manage pain would be associated with improvement in multidisciplinary pain treatment. The findings supported all three hypotheses. We discuss the implications of the findings for understanding motivational issues in the self-management of pain.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2004

The association between pain and disability.

A clearer understanding of how pain intensity relates to disability could have important implications for pain treatment goals and definitions of treatment success. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal pain intensity rating (0-10 scale) cutpoints for discriminating disability levels among individuals with work-related carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and low back (LB) injuries, whether these cutpoints differed for these conditions and for different disability measures, and whether the relationship between pain intensity and disability was linear in each injury group. Approximately 3 weeks after filing work injury claims, 2183 workers (1059 CTS; 1124 LB) who still had pain completed pain and disability measures. In the LB group, pain intensity rating categories of 1-4, 5-6, and 7-10 optimally discriminated disability levels for all four disability measures examined. In the CTS group, no pain intensity rating categorization scheme proved superior across all disability measures. For all disability measures examined, the relationship between pain intensity and disability level was linear in the CTS group, but nonlinear in the LB group. Among study participants with work-related back injuries, when pain level was 1-4, a decrease in pain of more than 1-point corresponded to clinically meaningful improvement in functioning, but when pain was rated as 5-10, a 2-point decrease was necessary for clinically meaningful improvement in functioning. The findings indicate that classifying numerical pain ratings into categories corresponding to levels of disability may be useful in establishing treatment goals, but that classification schemes must be validated separately for different pain conditions.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Healthcare use and costs of primary and secondary care patients with prostatitis.

OBJECTIVES: To examine and identify predictors of healthcare use and prostatitis-related and total healthcare costs for primary and secondary care patients with new episodes of care for prostatitis. METHODS: We compared the use and costs for 270 men with a new episode of care for prostatitis to those of randomly selected male health maintenance organization enrollees matched by age and primary care provider. We examined the episode of care (index visit and next 2 months) and the previous and subsequent years. Patients with prostatitis were interviewed 1 month after the index visit. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients with prostatitis had significantly greater total healthcare use (P <0.001) and costs (P <0.05) in each period. The prostatitis costs were only a small proportion of the total costs of the patients with prostatitis and of the difference in costs between patients with prostatitis and controls. The 10% of patients with prostatitis with the greatest total costs accounted for about one half of all costs. White race (P = 0.04), less education (P = 0.02), greater disability (P = 0.003), and greater number of non-pelvic pain sites (P = 0.004) at baseline predicted greater total healthcare costs after the index visit. CONCLUSIONS: Health maintenance organization enrollees who seek care for prostatitis have greater total healthcare use and costs than do other enrollees of the same age and primary care provider. Most of the difference in costs reflects care for problems other than prostatitis. A small proportion of patients account for most of the costs.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Prognosis of patients with new prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome episodes.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the natural history of nonbacterial prostatitis/male pelvic pain syndrome, the transition from acute to chronic pelvic pain and risk factors for chronicity. In this study we determined the course of symptoms after physician visits for new nonbacterial prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome episodes, and determined predictors of symptom persistence 1 year later. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 286 male health maintenance organization enrollees (87% white, mean age 46.7 years, 83% completed the 12-month followup) with recent physician visits for new prostatitis/pelvic pain episodes completed baseline, and 3, 6 and 12-month followup telephone interviews, including the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index in a prospective longitudinal inception cohort study. RESULTS: On average symptoms improved substantially during months 1 to 3, modestly from months 3 to 6 and then remained unchanged. At each followup outcomes were better for men whose initial visit was for a first lifetime episode compared with a recurrent prostatitis/pelvic pain episode. Patients with more severe symptoms (Wald chi-square 11.27, p = 0.0008) and whose episode was recurrent (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.06) at baseline were significantly more likely to report symptoms 1 year later. CONCLUSIONS: Most men who make physician visits for new nonbacterial prostatitis/pelvic pain episodes experience symptom improvement during the next 6 months. However, chronic, mild, persistent or recurrent symptoms are common. Patients with previous episodes and more severe symptoms are at higher risk for chronic pelvic pain.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

A communitywide intervention to improve outcomes and reduce disability among injured workers in Washington State.

One pressing challenge facing the U.S. health care system is the development of effective policies and clinical management strategies to address deficiencies in health care quality. In collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has created a communitywide delivery system intervention to improve health outcomes and reduce disability among injured workers. This intervention is currently being tested in two sites in western and eastern Washington. So far, it appears to be possible to engage physicians and health care institutions in quality improvement initiatives and to form effective public-private partnerships for this purpose. Furthermore, collaborating with university researchers may help enhance the scientific rigor of the quality improvement initiative and create more opportunities for a successful evaluation.

Accidents, Occupational↗

PubMed2004

Patient satisfaction, treatment experience, and disability outcomes in a population-based cohort of injured workers in Washington State: implications for quality improvement.

OBJECTIVE: To determine what aspects of patient satisfaction are most important in explaining the variance in patients' overall treatment experience and to evaluate the relationship between treatment experience and subsequent outcomes. DATA SOURCES AND SETTING: Data from a population-based survey of 804 randomly selected injured workers in Washington State filing a workers' compensation claim between November 1999 and February 2000 were combined with insurance claims data indicating whether survey respondents were receiving disability compensation payments for being out of work at 6 or 12 months after claim filing. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a two-step analysis. In the first step, we tested a multiple linear regression model to assess the relationship of satisfaction measures to patients' overall treatment experience. In the second step, we used logistic regression to assess the relationship of treatment experience to subsequent outcomes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Among injured workers who had ongoing follow-up care after their initial treatment (n = 681), satisfaction with interpersonal and technical aspects of care and with care coordination was strongly and positively associated with overall treatment experience (p < 0.001). As a group, the satisfaction measures explained 38 percent of the variance in treatment experience after controlling for demographics, satisfaction with medical care prior to injury, job satisfaction, type of injury, and provider type. Injured workers who reported less-favorable treatment experience were 3.54 times as likely (95 percent confidence interval, 1.20-10.95, p = .021) to be receiving time-loss compensation for inability to work due to injury 6 or 12 months after filing a claim, compared to patients whose treatment experience was more positive.

Aged↗