Improving quality of life for a patient with fibromyalgia and their caregiver: A protocol for the application of the integrative medical service model

Abstract

Objectives: Patients with incurable diseases experience difficulty carrying out activities of daily living and rely on caregivers. Caregivers of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) are unable to understand the extent of the patients’ suffering because the pain sites are invisible. To address this problem, this study will apply an integrative healthcare service model to a single FM case to manage pain and enhance the quality of life and, subsequently, gather feedback from different sources regarding the treatment. This paper presents the study protocol. Methods: We will conduct an observational study to gather quantitative and qualitative feedback from various perspectives regarding the application of an integrative healthcare service program for FM patients developed in Korea for an FM patient–caregiver pair. The program will comprise eight 100-minute weekly sessions, during which integrative services that combine Western and Oriental medicines (Korean traditional medicine) will be provided to enhance pain management and quality of life. The feedback collected after each session will be reflected in the next session’ content. Results: The results will comprise the feedback from the patient and caregiver in accordance with revisions made to the program. Conclusions: The results will provide basic data for optimizing an integrative healthcare service system in Korea for patients suffering from chronic pain owing to diseases such as FM.