Perspectives on Creating a Chronic Pain Support Line in Portugal: Results of a Focus Group Study among Patients and Healthcare Professionals

TL;DR

This study explores the feasibility of a chronic pain support line in Portugal based on feedback from patients and healthcare professionals.

Contribution

The study provides insights into the viability of a chronic pain support line in Portugal based on stakeholder perspectives.

Findings

A chronic pain support line is seen as feasible if it offers active listening and emotional support.

Participants believe such a line could improve access to support and healthcare services.

Abstract

Background: Chronic pain (CP) patients frequently feel misunderstood and experience a lack of support. This led to the creation of support telephone lines in some countries. However, there is no scientific data grounding their development or evaluating their performance. Almost 37% of the Portuguese adult population suffers from CP, with great costs for patients and the healthcare system. Methods: To determine the viability of a support line for CP in Portugal, a qualitative study was designed, and online focus group meetings, with patients and healthcare professionals, were conducted. Their perspectives, beliefs, and expectations were evaluated and described. Results: This study revealed that a CP support line is a feasible project from the participants’ perspective if its interventions are limited to active listening, emotional support, and tailored suggestions. Conclusions: It has the potential to generate a positive impact on healthcare services, while also contributing to greater equity of access to support.