JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Real-time data collection using ecologically momentary assessment (EMA) offers a granular perspective on patients’ experience of pain and other symptoms. However, EMA can be burdensome to patients and its benefits hinge upon their engagement in the assessments.

Objective:

The goal of this paper was to investigate correlates of completion rates in EMA among patients with chronic pain by taking an Individual Patient Data (IPD) meta-analytic approach.

Methods:

The present study is based on 12 EMA datasets examining patients with chronic non-cancer related pain (n = 701). EMA completion rates were calculated on a daily basis for each patient. Multilevel models were used to test predictors of completion rates at different levels: within-patient (days into the study, daily pain level), between-patient (age, sex, pain diagnosis, person average pain level), and between-study EMA design features (study duration, sampling density, survey length).

Results:

Across datasets, an EMA completion rate of 85% was observed. The strongest results were found for a between-patient factor, age: younger respondents reported lower completion rates than older ones. One within-patient factor was associated with completion rates: over the course of studies, completion rates declined. These two factors interacted in that younger participants showed a more rapid decline in EMA completion over time. Also notable was the absence of significant effects for many other hypothesized factors including gender, chronic pain diagnoses, pain intensity levels, or measures of study burden.

Conclusions:

Many factors thought to influence EMA completion rates in chronic pain studies were not confirmed. However, future EMA research in chronic pain should take note that study length and younger age can impact the quality of the momentary data and devise strategies to maximize completion rates across different age groups and study days.