Residential pain management programmes: Participants' hopes and expectations

Aims: The authors sought to identify the initial expectations held by potential participants of a residential pain management programme. Drawing on existing placebo literature, it was anticipated that such insight would provide greater opportunities to secure positive outcomes for participants. Methods: Focus groups and questionnaires were undertaken with 17 potential participants of the programme, to explore their pre-programme expectations. Data were thematically summarized. Findings: Participants provided a wealth of information about their hopes from the programme. Thematic analysis revealed that participants were not, however, describing their expectations of their own potential achievements from participating in the programme. Conclusions: The data provided by the participants highlighted the relevance of self-efficacy in interpreting their current potential for change. It is recommended that researchers should exercise caution when selecting the methods and language for qualitative approaches, particularly around 'hopes' and 'expectations'. These findings may have clinical implications for the evaluation of patients' preparedness for engaging in treatment in this area.