Not One Size Fits All: Rethinking Chronic Pain Education Through a Person-Centered Lens

Although chronic pain education programs are widely recommended, evidence of their effectiveness remains limited. This may be partly due to a focus on short-term, quantitative outcomes rather than longer-term exploration of patient experiences. This qualitative study explored how individuals with lived experience of chronic pain perceived and applied pain education over time, focusing on factors that may inform program evaluation and quality improvement. Thirteen interviews were conducted with adults in British Columbia who had participated in chronic pain education within the past 10 years. Participants described education as an adaptive process, developing individualized "pain management toolboxes" rather than following prescriptive approaches. Thematic analysis identified three relational factors that shaped program experience: validation of lived experience, building trust, and perceived control over care. Findings suggest that relational aspects of patient experience are critical to program impact. Incorporating qualitative evaluation and patient-reported experience measures may support quality improvement and person-centred care.