The STAR care pathway increased consultants’ and ESPs’ awareness of the nature of pain, and allowed them to explore patients’ beliefs about joint surgery
neuropathic pain, pain
One consultant reflected on how they had become “more careful about the nature of pain” because of the pathway, and that their threshold had become lower for identifying and treating psychosocial issues and neuropathic pain. Another ESP valued the focus on neuropathic pain and reported that their experience of delivering the pathway confirmed their suspicion that some patients after knee replacement were susceptible to development of neuropathic pain. Others found that the STAR pathway provided validation of their existing local pathway and suggested that the STAR pathway allowed them to focus more on exploring aspects of patients’ beliefs about joint replacement surgery. They felt that this reflected a shift in focus towards biopsychosocial approaches and expectation management.