Research Proposal Draft
Chronic pain is a complex, distressing health problem that has a profound impact on individual and community wellness. It is associated with a discomfort lasting over three months. Chronic pain has a multi-factorial etiology, with injuries and diseases, among others, being implicated in its development: Research Proposal Draft.
Chronic pain has a far-reaching effect on individual wellness, quality of life, and social functionalities (Raffaeli et al., 2021). Prompt diagnosis and management are warranted for effective relief of chronic pain.
Chronic pain remains a global health concern. The high prominence of pain coupled with the abundance of pain-related and pain-causing illnesses makes it a leading cause of disease burden and disability across global societies. In the US, chronic pain is one of the most prevalent complaints reported in outpatient medical settings.
Additionally, it is a reason for over-the-counter medication seeking and has been implicated in the opioid epidemic. Chronic pain affects over 25% of the American population. It is a leading cause of increased hospitalizations, increased need for over-the-counter and controlled analgesic medications, morbidity, and mortality (Cohen et al., 2021). This warrants its address.
Accurate diagnosis of pain is integral to chronic pain management. Healthcare professionals treating pain must, therefore, ensure proper characterization and diagnosis of the presenting pain for effective address. Comprehensive management of chronic pain has traditionally focused on non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions.
These interventions maintain effectiveness in alleviating chronic pain and have been used in isolation or combination to curtail pain based on the pain severity. Pharmacotherapy for chronic pain integrates opioids and non-opioid medications, adjutants, and non-steroidal inflammatory drugs, among others. Rational use of analgesic medication is warranted to ensure safety while maintaining effectiveness in pain relief (Cohen et al., 2021).
Problem Statement
Despite the availability of multiple management modalities against chronic pain, inadequate treatment persists, resulting in considerable suffering of the patients, increased need for hospitalization, escalating cost of healthcare, growing need for opioid use, and preventable mortalities (Fekede et al., 2023). This highlights the significance of addressing chronic pain. Inadequate management of pain results when adequate analgesia is not attained. This may be the case when the pain is not properly assessed, patients are given the wrong medication or wrong dosages of the right medications, when the underlying cause of the pain is not addressed, or when patients are reluctant to seek therapy for the pain.
Insufficient management of chronic pain across the lifespan has been attributed to several reasons. These include apparent disparities in accessing high-quality healthcare, poor understanding of diverse parameters of chronic pain, such as the etiological factors, pain characterization and evaluation, respective pain management strategies, and inconsistencies in pain management approaches. Caregiver biases in pain evaluation have also been implicated in poor pain management (Tata et al., 2024). It is thus necessary that nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals involved in managing pain comprehensively understand chronic pain.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of insufficient chronic pain management on the quality of life and mental wellness of adults within the community setting. The study will integrate a qualitative design to elucidate the perceived effects of chronic pain on physical and psychological wellness.
Research Questions, Hypothesis, and Variables with Operational Definition
Research Question
The research question that will be used in the study is: How does insufficient management of chronic pain impact the physical and mental wellness of adults with chronic pain?
Hypothesis: Research and Null
Research Hypothesis
Patients with chronic pain who are insufficiently managed will have physical and mental health deterioration as evidenced by poor quality of life, increased need for hospitalization, emotional and psychological distress, and complications associated with the pain. This is because unmanaged chronic pain can result in physical and mental health complications, resulting in an increased need for hospitalization. Likewise, chronic pain is associated with stress, anxiety, emotional distress, and debilitation.
Null Hypothesis
Insufficient management of chronic pain does not have any impact on the physical and mental wellness of adults with chronic pain.
Identifying and Defining the Study Variables
The dependent variable in this research is the physical and mental wellness of adults with chronic pain. The independent variable is chronic pain management. The level of pain management will determine the overall wellness of the patients. Poorly managed pain results in negative health outcomes, while proper management has been associated with better outcomes.
The identified dependent variable is physical and mental wellness. Physical and mental wellness encompasses all factors affecting the health of individuals. For this research, compromises to physical and mental wellness will be evidenced by a growing need for hospitalization, perceived emotional and psychological distress, such as stress and anxiety, complications due to chronic pain, as in debilitating pain, and a growing need for more effective analgesics or higher dosages.
These variables can be measured through patient assessments. The independent variable is chronic pain management. The level of pain management will determine the health outcomes of the patients. While poor management results in the suffering of the patients, adequate management optimizes the health outcomes of the patients.
References
Cohen, S. P., Vase, L., & Hooten, W. M. (2021). Chronic pain: An update on burden, best practices, and new advances. The Lancet, 397(10289), 2082–2097. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00393-7
Fekede, L., Temesgen, W. A., Gedamu, H., Kindie, S., Bekele, T. G., Abebaw, A., Baymot, A., & Difer, M. (2023). Nurses’ pain management practices for admitted patients at the comprehensive specialized hospitals and its associated factors, a multi-center study. BMC Nursing, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01528-x
Raffaeli, W., Tenti, M., Corraro, A., Malafoglia, V., Ilari, S., Balzani, E., & Bonci, A. (2021). Chronic pain: What does it mean? A review on the use of the term chronic pain in clinical practice. Journal of Pain Research, Volume 14, 827–835. https://doi.org/10.2147/jpr.s303186
Tata, T. K., Ohene, L. A., Dzansi, G. A., & Aziato, L. (2024). Factors influencing nurses’ pain assessment and management of road traffic casualties: A qualitative study at a military hospital in Ghana. BMC Emergency Medicine, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-024-01016-8
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Question 
Week 3 Midweek Assignment
Assignment
Due January 24 at 11:59 PM
Research Proposal Draft
By the due date assigned write a 2–3–page paper addressing the sections below of the research proposal.
Introduction
• Background and Significance of the Problem
• Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study
Research Proposal Draft
Research Questions, Hypothesis, and Variables with Operational Definitions
• Research Question
• Hypothesis: Research and Null
• Identifying and Defining Study Variables
• Operationalize Variables
- This assignment is tied to the last 2 finished bodies of work and one I will attach
- This assignment is for week 3 NSG6101 for reference. All articles or journals need to be done by nurses.