UTEP Seeks Volunteers for Cancer Pain Management Study

The University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing RidCancerPain Intervention Research Team is looking for volunteers to participate in a pain management program for Hispanic cancer patients that will help alleviate their symptoms and improve communication with their health care providers. 

Four undergraduate research assistants - Thalia Duarte, Vanessa Avelar Lezama, Christina Perez and Paloma Flores - from the RidCancerPain Intervention Research Team will provide interventions for cancer patients who have pain caused by the disease or by some other chronic pain condition. 

The intervention will take place in the participant’s home during three visits. Volunteers will be asked to complete a survey to see how their pain is affecting their lives. During the intervention, participants will discuss their pain, what they are doing to control their pain, and barriers they may have that are affecting how they control their pain. 

The research assistants then help the participants address their pain by educating them about pain management and setting goals for controlling the pain, such as taking their medication before the pain starts. 

“What we are trying to do is we want to have people know what they can do to control their pain. We want to help them realize that they don’t have to live with it, they can do something about. You don’t have to be afraid to control your pain,” said Avelar Lezama, the team’s coordinator. 

Volunteers must be Spanish speaking, have cancer and must have pain. 

RidCancerPain is a separate research project under the direction of Kris Robinson, Ph.D., associate professor and assistant dean for graduate nursing, and Diane Monsivais, Ph.D., assistant professor at the School of Nursing, to test a psycho-educational intervention in Hispanic cancer patients in the community who have pain. The goal of the research is to improve communication about pain management between cancer patients and their health care providers. 

“What is really great about this grant is that it’s supposed to focus on minority students learning to become researchers,” Robinson said. “We have four undergraduate students whose goals are to pursue further graduate education and work in research. I think we’ve done our job.” 

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies estimates that chronic pain affects 116 million American adults - more than the total affected by heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined. 

In June, the IOM released a report titled, “Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research,” which offers strategies for pain management and prevention.

The intervention follows the guidelines presented by the IOM. 

“One of the initiatives out of this IOM report is to promote and enable self-management of pain. It’s perfect for what we are already doing,” Monsivais said. 

To volunteer for the study, please contact the RidCancerPain Study office at 915-747-7228.