[Standardized telephone interviews to monitor pain. Pilot study to determine feasibility]

BACKGROUND: Electronic pain diaries are of increasing interest to patients and physicians. The goal of the present pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of standardized telephone interviews in patients with refractory pain who had been switched to oxycodone in the setting of daily practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Once a week for 3 consecutive weeks, 33 female and male patients answered a standardized telephone interview derived from the ICF (International Classification of Functioning) about the impact of pain on their daily activities. RESULTS: After 3 weeks, complete datasets were available for 70% of all participants. With flawless technicalities, the following aspects appeared to be worth improving: non-uniform response categories, limited language choice, and handling instructions to physicians and patients. The efficacy (pain relief and improved limitations in the activities of daily living) and good tolerability of oxycodone were comparable with findings reported in clinical trials. More than 95% of patients accepted the anonymous storage of their data for quality control purposes. CONCLUSION: Standardized telephone interviews aimed at documenting the evolution of pain are feasible in a daily practice setting. They should however be simplified for user-friendliness.