"Pushed to Their Limits": Health Care Provider Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing a Mind-Body and Activity Program for Older Adults With Chronic Pain in a Community Clinic for the Underserved

Abstract

Older adults from underserved backgrounds experience chronic pain at a rate of 60% to 75%. Pharmacological treatments have limited efficacy and involve considerable risks. Mind-body interventions hold promise to improve pain outcomes but are typically not implemented in community clinics in which they are needed most, thus contributing to health disparities in chronic pain treatment. We conducted qualitative focus groups and interviews with 20 providers (eg, primary care doctors, nurses, administrators). We sought their perspectives on barriers and facilitators to implementing an evidence based mind-body activity program for older adults with chronic pain at an underserved community health clinic in Massachusetts. Subthemes were identified within 2 superordinate domains (barriers and facilitators) using a hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach following the Framework Method. Providers discussed facilitators (partner with clinic staff to facilitate referrals and buy-in, integrate referrals through the electronic medical record, offer groups in different languages, post and tailor advertisements) and barriers (limited staff bandwidth, scheduling challenges, inconsistent patient participation). These results will directly inform tailoring and subsequent effectiveness testing and implementation of the pain management program for older underserved adults with chronic pain in this community health care setting.