Program evaluation of the chronic pain self-management workshop in the workplace

Abstract

Chronic pain conditions can be extremely challenging to deal with in the workplace. The implications of these conditions extend far beyond the employees themselves and can create significant organizational impacts. The Chronic Pain Self-Management Program was developed by Dr. Sandra LeFort, and was originally based on the generic Stanford model of self-management. The six-week program, delivered weekly, is designed to explore and instruct those with chronic pain on different aspects of their condition. This pilot study used a mixed method design to evaluate the effectiveness of Chronic Pain Self-Management Program in the workplace. The quantitative measures for this study were unable to demonstrate the effectiveness of the workshop due to a lack of statistical significance. Through the qualitative measures it was possible to delve into how the chronic pain condition manifests itself in the workplace and what support systems are available for those with chronic pain. There are definitely some positive implications from this pilot research, but through further research it is possible to truly understand how people live with chronic pain in the workplace and how their conditions can be made more manageable.