A global sense of the potential for normalisation of the STAR pathway (
neuropathic pain, pain
COMPLICATIONS
ESP participants quickly became familiar with the care pathway as they delivered it. They found that the intervention manual was useful, with one ESP reflecting that they still used it as a prompt. ESPs reported that some elements of the pathway had already been part of their clinical role before the trial, including follow-up and referral for pain. However, there were other elements that were new to their practice, including regular follow-up telephone calls, a raised awareness of the potential for complications and the assessment of neuropathic pain. Participants felt there was the potential for the STAR pathway to become a normal part of practice, if sufficient time and resource was available and if the trial findings indicated that the pathway was beneficial compared with usual care. The results of the trial had not yet been released at the time of the interviews.