University of Otago (Wellington) Rehabilitation Teaching Research Unit lecturer Dr Hemakumar Devan recently received a grant of almost $1.4 million in the latest Health Research Council funding round to co-produce a whanau-focused opioid-tapering intervention for people with chronic non-cancer pain.
"Opioids are a group of medicines commonly used for pain relief," he said.
"They are quite effective short-term. However, when used long term - more than six months - their pain-relieving effects wane off.
"Instead, there is potential for becoming more sensitive to pain, and in some, it may lead to dependency and addiction."
Dr Devan said chronic non-cancer pain was a public health burden affecting one in five New Zealanders.
However, Maori had a disproportionate burden of chronic pain and there may be inequities in opioid prescription for Maori, he said.
"While opioid tapering is recommended for some patients who are on long-term use with minimal pain relief, this is a complex process as tapering is associated with withdrawal symptoms and people need ongoing support in their tapering journey.
"Currently, there is no Aotearoa New Zealand research to understand opioid tapering for chronic non-cancer pain."
Supported by kaumatua, the Maori-centred research would capture, create and share the stories of Maori patients, whanau and clinicians, he said.
"This will involve co-designing digital video stories with Maori patients and whanau across New Zealand using a group-based, digital storytelling method to capture their life journeys before opioid use, barriers and enablers during opioid reduction, and life after opioid tapering.
"We will also collect clinicians’ stories to capture the challenges they face when facilitating opioid tapering consultations.
"Our ultimate aim is to help all patients engage in clinical conversations of tapering opioids by introducing stories of peers which they can relate to."
Dr Devan is one of 12 Otago researchers to be granted funding in the latest Health Research Council funding round, totalling about $3.1 million.
Fifteen Otago researchers have also been awarded funding from the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, totalling a further $1.6 million.
