Cultural translation and feasibility testing of the Norwegian iCanCope with PainTM app

The disputation will be held digitally, because of the Corona covid-19-situation. Spectators may follow the disputation digitally – link is available below.

Erik Grasaas of the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Agder has submitted his thesis entitled “iCanCope with Pain^TM Norway - Cultural translation and feasibility testing of the Norwegian iCanCope with Pain^TM app aimed at reducing pain and improving health-related quality of life in a school-based population of adolescents with persistent pain”, and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Friday 25 September 2020.

He has followed the PhD Programme at the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Agder.

Summary of the Thesis by Erik Grasaas:

Cultural translation and feasibility testing of the Norwegian iCanCope with PainTM app

The overall aim of the thesis “iCanCope with Pain^TM Norway” was to culturally adapt and determine the feasibility of the iCanCope with Pain^TM app and examine pain and HRQOL among a school-based population of adolescents with persistent pain.

A total of three papers is included in the thesis.

Results from the thesis suggest that the participants found the app to be easy to use and self-explanatory. However, the pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial revealed a high attrition rate and low level of engagement.

In paper I, high usability satisfaction and only minor errors cumulatively indicated that no changes to the app were needed before the pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT), with the exception of facilitating user interaction within the social support feature.

Furthermore, in paper II, examination of the underlying mechanisms between pain and HRQOL highlighted the importance of promoting self-efficacy to increase HRQOL in future interventions by revealing that about half of the reduction in several HRQOL subscales was explained by the mediating variable self-efficacy.

Paper III revealed high attrition and low engagement of the pilot feasibility RCT indicate the need for a change in the trial design.

Still, this study exceeds previous research by determining the feasibility and explores outcomes between groups using a self-management app in a school-based population of adolescents with persistent pain and provides estimates for calculation of sample sizes in future app-based intervention.

Disputation facts:

The trial lecture and the public defence will take place online, via the Zoom conferencing app (link below)

Head of the Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Professor Mariann Fossum, will chair the disputation.

The trial lecture at 10:15 hours

Public defence at 12:15 hours

Given topic for trial lecture: "How to evaluate feasibility? Criteria and considerations when planning and carrying out an efficacy trial"

Thesis Title: “iCanCope with Pain^TM Norway - Cultural translation and feasibility testing of the Norwegian iCanCope with Pain^TM app aimed at reducing pain and improving health-related quality of life in a school-based population of adolescents with persistent pain”

Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder.

The thesis is available here:

PDF - Thesis Erik Grasaas

 

The Candidate: Erik Grasaas (1985, Kristiansand) Physical therapist (bachelor degree), UC-Vest, Esbjerg, Denmark (2010), Osteopath (bachelor degree) Høyskolen Kristiania, Oslo (2014), Masters degree in Human Movement Science, Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim (NTNU) (2013). Worked as a physcal therapist at Esbjerg Genoptræningscenter (Denmark) 2010-2011, later worked as a student assistent at NTNU in anatomy and physiology, as a teacher  at Oddemarka school in Kristiansand, part-time teacher at UiA and high schools in Kristiansand. Present position is senior adviser at the Research Centre on Lifecourse Nutrition at the University of Agder.

Opponents:

First opponent: Professor Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland 

Second opponent: Postdoctoral fellow, PhD Olöf Birna Kristjansdottir, Oslo University Hospital and researcher at Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Learning and Mastery in Health

Professor Bjørn Tore Johansen, Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, is appointed as the administrator for the assessment commitee.

Supervisors were Professor Kristin Haraldstad, Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, UiA, (main supervisor), Professor Liv Fegran, Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, UiA, Professor II Sølvi Helseth, Department of Health and Nursing Sciences UiA and Professor at OsloMet University, and researcher, PhD, Jennifer Stinson, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, also  Associate Professor at University of Toronto, Canada (co-supervisors)

What to do as an audience member:

The disputation is open to the public, but to follow the trial lecture and the public defence, which is transmitted via the Zoom conferencing app, you have to register as an audience member.

We ask audience members to join the virtual trial lecture at 10:05 at the earliest and the public defense at 12:05 at the earliest. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time. Further, we ask audience members to turn off their microphone and camera and keep them turned off throughout the event. You do this at the bottom left of the image when in Zoom. We recommend you use ‘Speaker view’. You select that at the top right corner of the video window when in Zoom.

Opponent ex auditorio:

The chair invites members of the public to pose questions ex auditorio in the introduction to the public defense, with deadlines. Questions can be submitted to the chair, Head of the Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Professor Mariann Fossum, at e-mail mariann.fossum@uia.no