Vietnamese people needed for UQ pain study

People of Vietnamese origin with chronic pain complaints are needed for a University of Queensland study.

Professor Jenny Strong from UQ’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said the study would test whether three pain questionnaires had been successfully translated into the Vietnamese language.

“The adequate assessment of pain is essential for health professionals to understand a person’s pain and provide the best management,” Professor Strong said.

“Pain is a highly subjective phenomenon, communicated largely by the spoken word. When language barriers exist between patient and health professional, the best pain management may not always be provided. “

She said the study would trial the effectiveness of the three questionnaires on pain following their recent translation into Vietnamese.

Study participants must be aged 18 years or over, live in Brisbane, and read and write Vietnamese with English as a second language. Their chronic pain complaint should be of a non-cancer origin.

After a screening telephone interview with the researchers, participants will be posted the three questionnaires, along with a return postage envelope. The questionnaires take around 40 minutes to complete.

For more information, contact Professor Strong (telephone: 07 3365 1320, email: j.strong@admin.uq.edu.au).