Interview Participant, Assessment on Neuromodulation for Chronic Pain

Are you someone who lives with or has lived with chronic pain?  Do you have experience with neuromodulation (e.g., a spinal cord stimulator, an intrathecal pump) as a treatment option to help manage your pain (both cancer and non-cancer pain)?  If yes, we would value hearing about your experience and insights.

Open to: Patient partners across the province

Lead Organization or Department

O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary

Aim

We are inviting people who have experience with neuromodulation (i.e., spinal cord stimulation implant; or a intrathecal pump implant) to participate in a single telephone interview that will last 30-60 minutes. The University of Calgary Health Technology Review unit is conducting an assessment on neuromodulation for chronic pain (both cancer and non-cancer pain) and is seeking to obtain the perspectives of patients and families on key questions to help inform our research and development of policy options.The kinds of neuromodulation we are looking at are spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal pumps, where a small electrical device or a medication pump is implanted to help relieve pain. This project involves a number of parts, including: a review of the research literature on both the effective of this technology and on patient experience with this technology; cost analysis; and key informant interviews with healthcare professionals providing the treatment and with patients and/or their families.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility

Open to patient partners anywhere in BC who:

• Live with, or have lived with severe chronic pain (cancer or non-cancer pain)
• Have had neuromodulation as a treatment option for yourself, or via your role as a friend or family member of someone to help manage the pain. (This could include being assessed for neuromoduation as an option and/or having a neuromodulation trial but not proceeding to a permanent implant.)
• Are comfortable talking about your experience living with a spinal cord stimulator or intrathecal pump, and how it has affected your pain and your quality of life (either for better or worse)
• Are comfortable in sharing your insights about what could improve the experience of being assessed to see whether neuromodulation could be an option for you

If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 2-6
• One time interview with patient partner
• Interview will take place via teleconference or telephone
• Interview times will be available until June 22, 2018
• Time of interview will be based on interviewee's availability

Reimbursement

No expenses are likely to be required, as the interview will be conducted using a teleconference line or the interviewer will call the patient partner - whatever works best for them.

Background

The Health Technology Review (HTR) is a joint BC Ministry of Health and Health Authority process used to provide evidence-informed recommendations about which new non-drug health technologies should be publicly provided in the province. The BC Ministry of Health has contracted with the U of C’s HTA Unit to do a number of HTA’s each year for BC. There is no risk to the patient volunteer. All information provided is confidential and will only be reported in the aggregate. Participants will be told the following statement by the facilitator at the beginning of the focus group session or individual interview: This session will be recorded. The Ministry of Health is collecting your personal information under section 26 (c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. It will be used to generate a report based on the discussions today. The information in the report will be anonymized and written down in a summary fashion with no personally identifiable information included. Please do not provide any third party information (i.e. talk about others) in your responses to this discussion. Once the report has been completed the recorded information, including any personal information collected, will be destroyed. If you have any questions about the collection of your personal information please contact the Director, Health Technology Review at 250-952-6213, PO BOX 9637 STN PROV GOVT. Those interested in learning more about this project or the HTR process are invited to visit the web page: www.health.gov.bc.ca/htr  and/or email the HTR Office: HTR.Office@gov.bc.ca.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Teresa Bissenden
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Provincial
604.668.8253
tbissenden@bcpsqc.ca