| Summary: | Cancer pain remains poorly managed despite technological developments worldwide. The reason for this problem is linked to numerous barriers related to the healthcare system, healthcare professionals and patients themselves. A range of studies that have utilised educational programmes and cognitive behavioural programmes to improve cancer pain management have shown unclear effects. This study reported in this thesis aimed to evaluate the experiences of Jordanian cancer patients who were exposed to a multidisciplinary pain management programme (PMP) in Jordan. The programme is the first of its kind in Jordan and was developed for people with a range of cancer diagnoses experiencing cancer-related pain at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC). The programme consisted of different services including doctors' consultations, pain medication, physiotherapy and psychotherapy on cancer pain experience. In order to evaluate the experiences of Jordanian cancer patients who were exposed to the PMP, the study adopted a mixed-methods approach based on a concurrent design in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously from 58 participants. Data were collected at baseline and at three time points over six months (July 2010 to January 2011). Data was collected using the Barrier Questionnaire (BQ) to capture patients' bel iefs and attitudes toward cancer pain management and the Brief Pain Inventory (BP!) to investigate pain experience during the PMP. Qualitative data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a subset of the PMP participants (n= 21) to capture their views about the impact of the programme on pain experience. The findings suggest that there is a significant change in cancer pain experience during the PMP, evinced by pain scores measured via the BP!. All pain levels (worst (P =.00), average (P =.00), and current pain (P =.03) were significantly decreased after TO. The analysis of the BQ revealed no change in beliefs and attitudes (P= 0.20). The results also showed substantial early improvement in total pain experience, as well as total pain interference at T 1 (P < .05). However, the pain remained constant at T2 and T3, as no further decline in pain intensity occurred after Tl. The major theme from the interviews was the patient-healthcare professionals relationship, which was found to have a major influence on patients' behaviours and was a modifier for barriers that influence effective cancer pain management. This theme consists of four main sub-themes, including "being the focus of healthcare professionals," "gained knowledge," "trust" and "satisfaction." The majority of interviewees reported good pain relief related to a successful relationship with healthcare professionals, but a small subset of participants were unsatisfied with the PMP's effects as the programme it did not help them to manage their pain.
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