Qualitative evaluation of an integrative medicine group visits program for patients with chronic pain and depression

Purpose:  The Integrative medicine group visits program (IMGV) is a 9-week intensive outpatient medical group visit program for chronic pain patients combining principles of mind-body techniques with group discussions on wellness topics.

Methods:  We conducted three focus groups (N=20) with participants with chronic pain and depression who had participated in an IMGV program in order to better understand the participants’ experiences and interpretations of the program and its effects. An unaffiliated facilitator asked participants about their perceptions of the program and motivation for attending; lessons learned or lifestyle changes made; physical, mental, or behavioral effects attributed to the program; and opinions about group versus individual care. The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed preliminarily. Transcripts will be further analyzed using grounded thematic analysis techniques.

Results: The focus group participants (N=20) all received their primary care from inner city outpatient clinics; the average age of participants was 51; 15 identified as African American and 7 as Latino; over half of the participants were on sick leave or disability (n=11); over half of the participants were on food stamps (n=12); 6 participants were using a Section 8 housing subsidy; the average pain level was 6 (range =0-9). Emerging themes include the significance of the group in providing social support, universality, affiliation with a clinician, health directed behavior and self-efficacy. We explore the multiple meanings of efficacy in an integrative group care delivery model.

Conclusions: IMGV is a multi-faceted intervention that increases social support, universality, affiliation with a clinician and self-efficacy.