Evaluation of the Empower Veterans Program for Military Veterans With Chronic Pain

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to abstract and analyze previously collected data from veterans with high-impact chronic pain who attended the Empower Veterans Program (EVP) offered by a Veterans Administration facility in the northeastern United States. Methods: This quality improvement project used data collected from veterans with chronic pain who completed the veterans health care facility's EVP between August 2017 and August 2019. Pre- and postintervention data on pain intensity, pain interference, quality of life, and pain catastrophizing were compared using paired t-tests. Results: Although data were abstracted from 115 patients, the final sample included 67 patients who completed both pre-and postintervention questionnaires. Baseline measures of completers and noncompleters were similar. Comparison of pre and post mean scores on completers showed statistically significant findings (P = .004) based on the Bonferroni correction. The medium and large effect sizes (Cohen's d) indicated clinically significant improvements for veterans who completed the program. Veterans reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. Conclusion: Veterans with chronic high-impact noncancer pain who completed the EVP had reduced pain intensity, pain interference, pain catastrophizing as well as improved quality of life and satisfaction with their health.