Developing a culturally appropriate non-opioid pain coping skills training intervention for Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latine patients with cancer-related pain: Preliminary findings.

Abstract

e13773 Background: Hispanic/Latine populations in the US routinely experience disparities in cancer-related care and often have inadequate access to suitable pain treatments which, in turn, can contribute to medication misuse, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life. In addition to culturally and socially determined disparities, language barriers are a key challenge limiting adherence to prescribed treatments and access to pain management services for these patients. Our team has developed and validated a web-based pain coping skills training (PCST) intervention ( painTRAINER® ) that retains critical features of empirically validated and effective in-person PCST interventions. PainTRAINER is available via internet-enabled devices and smart phones as an interactive and personalized intervention that requires no clinic visits or therapist involvement. While painTRAINER’s effectiveness for chronic pain management is well-established via NIH-funded trials, it has only been available in English. In collaboration with Hispanic/Latine community organizations, newly formed community advisory boards, and bilingual health experts, we followed a community-engaged and culturally informed process to adapt and translate painTRAINER to be both linguistically sensitive and culturally appropriate for Spanish speakers. PainTRAINER en Español includes 8 weekly PCST modules (45 minutes each) led by a virtual coach who guides patients as they develop, practice, and master pain coping skills. Methods: PainTRAINER en Español was pilot tested among Hispanic/Latine cancer survivors (including those with active but stable cancer) who reported persistent cancer-related pain. Primary outcomes included measures reflecting feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Feasibility was determined based on whether at least 70% of participants completed 6 of the 8 modules. The intervention was deemed acceptable if 70% of participants reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the program post-intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were estimated and reported along with exact 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of n = 30 participants (97% female) enrolled in painTRAINER en Español in ~3 months; a majority (57%) were breast cancer survivors. Of the 29 participants who started painTRAINER en Español , 25 (86.2%; 95% CI: 68.3-96.1%) completed at least 6 of the PCST modules. Of the 25 participants who rated the acceptability of painTRAINER en Español , 100% (95% CI: 86.3-100%) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the program. Conclusions: Therefore, these preliminary findings support both the feasibility and acceptability of painTRAINER en Español. Clinical trial information: NCT05917171 .