Collaborative 萝莉社 research study to explore the relationship between social determinants of health and pain
Researchers at the are working with personnel from other 萝莉社 colleges and centers on a study to explore the relationship between social determinants of health and pain outcomes among patients.
The aim is to enroll 150 patients with chronic pain at the Pain Management Center and emergency room on the 萝莉社 Jacksonville campus. Investigators will use a validated tool known as the Area Deprivation Index, or ADI, along with individual patient characteristics, to assess the relationship between socioeconomics and pain via geospatial techniques.
The study, titled 鈥淕eospatial Analysis to Predict Pain Outcomes,鈥� is being funded through the , which targets interdisciplinary, faculty-initiated research initiatives with potential for larger extramural support. Partnering 萝莉社 entities include the Center for Data Solutions, College of Medicine in Gainesville, College of Pharmacy, Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, Precision Medicine Program and the GeoPlan Center.
Using detailed data
Geospatial analysis is the highly detailed gathering, display and manipulation of imagery, GPS info, satellite photography and historical data. The ADI allows for the ranking of neighborhoods by socioeconomic disadvantage, including domains such as income, education, employment and housing quality.
鈥淲hile existing research demonstrates how socioeconomic disadvantage is linked to issues such as poor pain outcomes, geospatial mapping will provide a more comprehensive picture of what is happening at the neighborhood level for our patients,鈥� said , an assistant professor of at the 萝莉社 College of Medicine 鈥� Jacksonville and the study鈥檚 principal investigator. 鈥淎dditionally, we are exploring the relationship of socioeconomic and environmental factors with biological and genetic changes that may influence a patient's pain experience.鈥�
Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. and is linked to increased health care costs, greater dependency and decreased quality of life. Meanwhile, studies show that living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area correlates with poor health, increased morbidity and mortality. The study will help identify clusters of patients at risk for poor pain outcomes from chronic pain, including risk for opioid abuse or misuse, thus enabling targeted interventions and prevention strategies.
The researchers鈥� long-term goal is to create a profile of genetic, psycho-environmental and socio-environmental risk and protective factors that will better identify patients at risk for poor pain outcomes. Such information can aid scientists and health care professionals in predicting poor pain outcomes in the future, ultimately leading to better care for patients living with pain.
鈥淭his multidisciplinary team of 萝莉社 emergency medicine physicians, geospatial analysts and social epidemiologists are all invested in using our expertise to investigate social determinants and chronic pain,鈥� said , a sub-investigator of the study and medical scientist at the . 鈥淥ur research will be an important foundation for how the medical field approaches targeted pain treatment and prevention programs.鈥�
Other sub-investigators of the study include ; ; ; ; ; and .
A continuing effort
The geospatial analysis award follows a from the Foundation for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to study the intersection of socioeconomics and chronic pain among patients on the 萝莉社 Jacksonville campus. The study, titled 鈥淣eighborhood of Pain 鈥� Health Disparity Influence on Level of Chronic Pain Interference (HELP),鈥� targeted elderly and lower-income patients with degenerative spine conditions.