Using health trainers to promote self-management of chronic pain: can it work?

Background: In 2011, the Sheffield Primary Care Trust piloted a Health Trainer (HT) programme targeted specifically to people with chronic pain. The programme aimed to determine whether patients presenting to primary care with chronic pain would benefit from self-management support, thereby reducing the burden on primary care and secondary care services.

Methods: We conducted a formative mixed-methods evaluation of the pilot programme, focusing on four aspects of implementation: general practitioner (GP) referral to the programme, HT's ability to use cognitive behavioural (CB) approaches, short-term outcomes for clients and adequacy of resources.

The impact of eyeglasses on vision-related quality of life in American Indian/Alaska Natives.

Purpose: To determine the change in vision-related quality-of-life scores after providing eyeglasses to American Indian/Alaska Natives with undercorrected refractive error.

Study Design: Prospective, comparative (nonrandomized) interventional study.

Methods: We compared a group with undercorrected refractive error to a control group who did not need a change in eyeglasses.