Healthcare professionals’ perceptions of psychological treatment for chronic pain in Singapore: challenges, barriers, and the way forward

Abstract

Purpose: There are very few studies on healthcare providers’ experiences of delivering treatment for chronic pain in a Southeast Asian setting. The aims of this study are to understand the experiences of professionals delivering treatment for people with chronic pain in Singapore and identify possible barriers to psychological treatment for this condition within the broader experiences of these professionals. Method: Healthcare professionals with at least 1-year experience treating chronic pain were recruited and purposefully sampled. Fifteen inductive semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore healthcare professionals’ experiences of treating people with chronic pain. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes were identified: ‘System Barriers’, ‘Core Beliefs and management of Chronic Pain’, ‘Engaging Patients in treatment’ and ‘Creating Awareness for Chronic Pain Management’. Professionals trained in a multidisciplinary approach to pain management were seen as rare. Professionals who could refer patients for psychological treatment do not refer due to costs, and their perception that patients may lack understanding of such a treatment. Conclusion: Reducing barriers in the access to psychological treatment in settings like Singapore will require a multifaceted approach.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• A multifaceted approach is required to reduce barriers to psychological treatment for chronic pain in settings like Singapore.

• Educating healthcare professionals on the need for a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain could help in reducing misconceptions and increase understanding of the benefits of psychological approaches.

• Utilizing both media and technological platforms as a means to facilitate psychological treatment uptake for chronic pain may be a way forward for a technological savvy generation.

Keywords:

• Multidisciplinary
• outpatients
• qualitative
• semi-structured interviews
• thematic analysis
• treatment experiences

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Vincent Yeo (Director, Pain Management Clinic), Dr Ho Kok Yuen (President, Pain Association of Singapore), Ms Jane Chong (Operations Manager, Pain Management Clinic) and Ms Tina Png (Clinic Manager, Pain Management Clinic) for their support of this study.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.