Impact of a Patient-Centered Chronic Pelvic Pain Toolkit on Patient Satisfaction: A Randomized Control Pilot Study

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a chronic pelvic pain (CPP) Toolkit on patient satisfaction. DESIGN: Single-center, prospective, randomized control pilot study. SETTING: Outpatient clinics within the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at an academic tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-one patients >18 years with CPP were prospectively recruited. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive standard care or standard care plus the CPP Toolkit and navigational assistance. The toolkit was filled out by their provider at time of in-person evaluation to include relevant educational resources, a personalized treatment grid, and a follow-up plan. The intervention group additionally received points of contact from the study team at 2 weeks and 2 months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was patient satisfaction measured via the general satisfaction subscale of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18). Secondary outcomes included the Communication and Interpersonal Manner subscales of the PSQ-18, pain catastrophizing scale scores, Pain Self-Efficacy (PSE), GAD-7, and PHQ-9. Baseline demographics and relevant histories were similar between groups. Median general satisfaction scores were higher in the intervention group at 1 month (6.0) compared to controls (4.0) (p = .059), with an odds ratio of 13.1 (95% CI: 0.9-191.97). The Communication subscale scores also favored the intervention at 1 month (OR 8.12, 95% CI: 1.12-58.8, p = .038). These differences waned over time, with a significant interaction noted between treatment arm and time point (p = .0441). Pain catastrophizing scale, PSE, GAD-7, PHQ-9 scores were similar between groups at all time points, although both groups trended toward decreased catastrophizing and increased self-efficacy over time. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, use of the CPP Toolkit was associated with early improvements in patient satisfaction and communication scores, suggesting benefit as a low-cost intervention. However, the small sample size and wide confidence intervals limited the ability to draw definitive conclusions regarding efficacy. The diminished effect over time highlights the need for longitudinal support strategies to address the healthcare needs of this complex population.