Health Needs in Patients Suffering from Chronic Back Pain: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Chronic back pain is a disease many people suffer from it and they have different problems and needs. OBJECTIVES: Due to the vague nature of these needs and lack of information in this regard, the present research was aimed to identify the needs of the patients suffering from chronic back pain. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted using content analysis method. Here, 29 participants entered the study using a purposive sampling; they were interviewed one by one, face to face, and in a semi-structural mode. Gathering the data, transcribing the interviews, and analyzing them were performed simultaneously using Graneheim and Lundman method. First, codification and meaning similarities were revised and the subthemes were identified; then, in the second revision, the related subthemes were put in one category. The data were analyzed using the max Q software version 2007. RESULTS: Analyzing the results led to deriving four main themes and nine categories. The main themes were related to the needs of the patients suffering from chronic back pain, including teaching and informing, religious-spiritual dimension, socio-economic dimension, and physical-psychological dimension. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a comprehensive understanding of the health-related needs of the patients suffering from chronic back pain in Iran. According to the obtained criteria from this study, identifying the needs, planning for them, and evaluating the measures taken for the patients suffering from chronic back pain will become possible.