Community directed assessment of pain in a northern Saskatchewan Cree community

ABSTRACTIndigenous Elder advisors in Pelican Narrows, a Cree community in Northern Saskatchewan, have indicated that Western pain scales may not be responsive tools for pain assessments within their community. This study employed a mixed methods research design that involved two phases. Phase one wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Main Authors: Tayah Zhang, Elder Rose Dorian, Sally Sewap, Rachel Johnson, Heather Foulds, Brenna Bath, Stacey Lovo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024
Subjects:
Pain assessment tools
chronic back pain
Indigenous perspectives
Cree
community-engaged research
culturally responsive care
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Circumpolar Health
International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2023.2300858
https://doaj.org/article/af0f237d228e4b4ca292d724f09e9430
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTIndigenous Elder advisors in Pelican Narrows, a Cree community in Northern Saskatchewan, have indicated that Western pain scales may not be responsive tools for pain assessments within their community. This study employed a mixed methods research design that involved two phases. Phase one was the development of a pain scale in collaboration with an Elder and a Knowledge Keeper. Phase two was a pilot of the CDPS utilised during virtual physiotherapy sessions for chronic back pain. Twenty-seven participants completed the pre-physiotherapy treatment questionnaires, and 10 participants engaged in semi-structured interviews (9 community members; 1 healthcare provider). A weighted kappa analysis yielded k = 0.696, indicating a good agreement between the CDPS and Faces Pain Scale-Revised in terms of documenting participants’ pain. Qualitative data from interviews with community members revealed three major themes: 1) Learnings Regarding Pain Scales, 2) Patient Centered Care; and 3) Strength-Based Solutions for Improving Pain Communication. Two themes were uncovered through conversations with the HCP: 1) Perspectives on CDPS and 2) Healthcare Provider Experiences Communicating about Pain. Moreover, a patient-centredcentred approach is important to ensure comprehensive pain assessments.

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