Trust Seeking To Commission New Research

Flower and Stethoscope on wood framed blackboard with pain management words

We are is seeking to commission a research project into Pain Management amongst our beneficiaries

A call for applications to undertake a new research project supporting beneficiaries needs has been advertised.

Evidence shows that our beneficiaries experience significantly worse physical and mental health than the general population of the same age. Pain is the health issue which is most reported by beneficiaries - with 91% reporting pain in four different sites, frequently experienced on a daily basis. This seriously impacts their quality of life and ability to remain fully independent and suggests that they are enduring significant discomfort in multiple locations of their body every day.

Existing research has also shown that people with thalidomide damage frequently suffer from a separate pain disorder which requires a unique personalised approach to pain management.

Our information indicates that beneficiaries have experienced barriers to seeking help and treatment and that standard pain treatment pathways are often inappropriate for them.

The need for research

For this unique beneficiary group with such a significant extent and experience of pain the lack of an effective bespoke approach to pain management is a significant gap and the need to develop one is paramount.

This research aims to:

  • Define the experience of pain suffered by beneficiaries.
  • Identify and describe best practice approaches to pain management and their likely efficacy for the beneficiary group.
  • Define and describe an effective pain management pathway that reflects and will meet the unique needs of beneficiaries of the Thalidomide Trust.

You can read more details on the research, it's scope and application details here