Ward, S.E., Serlin, R.C., Donovan, H.S., Ameringer, S.W., Hughes, S., Pe-Romashko, K., & Wang, K.K. (2009). A randomized trial of a representational intervention for cancer pain: Does targeting the dyad make a difference? Health Psychology: Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 28(5), 588–597.
To test the effectiveness of the RIDcancerPain program at overcoming attitudinal barriers to pain management among patients; to determine if the program is more effective when delivered to a patient with a significant other present than to a patient without a significant other present
Patients were blocked by setting (teaching vs. nonteaching facility) and then randomized to one of three study conditions: the dyad, in which both the patient and a significant other received the educational intervention; the solo condition, in which the patient received the intervention without a significant other present; and the care-as-usual condition. The RIDcancerPain intervention consisted of seven elements:
In the solo condition, the significant other was asked to leave the room during the intervention. In the dyad condition, the intervention was provided to both individuals. In the care-as-usual condition, project staff answered the questions that participant pairs had about the project. Measurement was done at baseline (T1), at five weeks (T2), and at nine weeks (T3).
Randomized single-blind controlled trial
This intervention did not result in a significant effect regarding pain management or barrier reduction. Whether the patient received the intervention with a significant other present did not seem to affect the result of the intervention.
Findings suggest that the authors' hypothesis—that RIDcancerPain intervention changes attitude, which in turn affects pain outcomes—oversimplifies pain management.