Costs of Implementing Electronic Context Factor Assessments and Patient-reported Outcomes in Pain Clinic Settings

BACKGROUND: The Healing Encounters and Attitudes Lists (HEALs) patient-reported measures, consisting of 6 separate context factor questionnaires, predict patients’ pain improvements. Our Patient-centered Outcomes Research Initiative-funded implementation project demonstrated success in using HEAL data during clinic consultations to enhance patient engagement, improve patient outcomes, and reduce opioid prescribing. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the resources needed for additional sites to implement HEAL to improve pain care treatment. RESEARCH DESIGN: An observational study from March 1 to November 30, 2021, assessing implementation cost data from invoices, time and salary requirements for clinic personnel training, estimates of non–site-based costs, and one-time resource development costs. SUBJECTS: Unique patients eligible to complete a HEAL survey (N=24,018) and 74 clinic personnel. MEASURES: The Stages of Implementation Completion guided documentation of preimplementation, implementation, and sustainment activities of HEAL pain clinic operations. These informed the calculations of the costs of implementation. RESULTS: The total time for HEAL implementation is 7 months: preimplementation and implementation phases (4 mo) and sustainment (3 mo). One hour of HEAL implementation involving a future clinical site consisting of 2 attending physicians, 1 midlevel provider, 1 nurse manager, 1 nurse, 1 radiology technician, 2 medical assistants, and 1 front desk staff will cost $572. A 10-minute time increment for all clinic staff is $95. Total implementation costs based on hourly rates over 7 months, including non–site-based costs of consultations, materials, and technology development costs, is $28,287. CONCLUSIONS: Documenting our implementation costs clarifies the resources needed for additional new sites to implement HEAL to measure pain care quality and to engage patients and clinic personnel.