Jajko Shannon K, Hoffman Elise V, Patel Kushang V, Cole Allison M, Ko Linda K
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-6504, USA.
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195-4696, USA.
J Pain. 2025 Apr 8:105389. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105389.
Clinical trials lack diversity and representation of minoritized groups, reducing generalizability and potentially the effectiveness of interventions across these populations. The purpose of this study was to identify how community perceptions of pain and pain research shape participation in pain-related clinical trials among underrepresented groups from the perspective of community organization leaders. We conducted a qualitative study with in-depth, semi-structured interviews with representatives from community-based organizations (N=20). Interviews represented experiences of leaders serving minoritized populations, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian communities in the Greater Seattle Area. Data were analyzed in Dedoose using thematic analysis. We identified five main themes: (1) Community perceptions of and communication around pain, (2) Pain research is an extension of Western medicine, (3) Community leaders' experiences with researchers, (4) Returning the results to the community increases research meaning, (5) Understand the community experience with social determinants of health. Participants believed that their communities were largely uninterested in pain clinical trials because they perceived a misalignment between trial treatment options and their communities' preferences and needs. Future research investigating integrative approaches to pain care, engaging the community in research design, and considering ways to address social determinants of health may help overcome this misalignment and improve the relevance of pain research to diverse communities. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents perspectives on pain and participation in pain research among community organization leaders serving minoritized communities in the Greater Seattle Area. The expertise of community organization leaders may inform efforts to design pain research that best engages minoritized and underrepresented groups to improve equitable pain medicine and research.
临床试验缺乏少数群体的多样性和代表性，降低了研究结果的普遍性，也可能降低干预措施在这些人群中的有效性。本研究的目的是从社区组织领导者的角度，确定社区对疼痛和疼痛研究的看法如何影响代表性不足群体参与与疼痛相关的临床试验。我们进行了一项定性研究，对社区组织的代表进行了深入的半结构化访谈（N = 20）。访谈代表了服务于少数群体的领导者的经历，包括大西雅图地区的黑人/非裔美国人、西班牙裔/拉丁裔和亚裔社区。使用主题分析在Dedoose中对数据进行了分析。我们确定了五个主要主题：（1）社区对疼痛的看法及围绕疼痛的沟通；（2）疼痛研究是西医的延伸；（3）社区领导者与研究人员的经历；（4）将研究结果反馈给社区可增加研究意义；（5）了解社区在健康社会决定因素方面的经历。参与者认为他们的社区对疼痛临床试验普遍不感兴趣，因为他们认为试验治疗方案与社区的偏好和需求不一致。未来研究调查疼痛护理的综合方法、让社区参与研究设计以及考虑解决健康社会决定因素的方法，可能有助于克服这种不一致，提高疼痛研究与不同社区的相关性。观点：本文介绍了大西雅图地区服务于少数群体社区的社区组织领导者对疼痛及参与疼痛研究的观点。社区组织领导者的专业知识可能有助于设计出能最好地吸引少数群体和代表性不足群体参与的疼痛研究，以改善公平的疼痛医学和研究。
