Prospective 12-Month Outcomes of Spinal Cord Stimulation From Ethnic Minority With Language Barriers at a UK Tertiary Center.

BACKGROUND

Health disparities persist in chronic pain management, particularly among patients from ethnic minority groups with language barriers. Their outcomes with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) remain underreported.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to prospectively evaluate 12-month pain and quality of life (QoL) outcomes of SCS in patients from ethnic minority groups with documented language barriers at a UK tertiary center.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Between May 2021 and June 2022, 494 patients were assessed for neuromodulation; 44 (9%) were non-English speakers, of whom 31 were suitable for SCS. A total of 25 proceeded to implantation without a trial. Pain (Numeric Rating Scale [NRS]) and health-related QoL (EuroQoL-5D-5L [EQ-5D-5L]) were collected at baseline, six, and 12 months.

RESULTS

A total of 23 patients completed follow-up. Mean NRS decreased from 7.8 ± 1.0 to 4.2 at 12 months (p < 0.001). EQ-5D-5L increased from 0.23 ± 0.22 to 0.75 (p < 0.001), reaching normative population values. The explant rate was 8%, and questionnaire noncompletion was higher than typical, suggesting barriers to follow-up engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients from ethnic minority groups with language barriers achieve substantial benefit from SCS. Health inequities appear to be driven by access and engagement barriers, emphasizing the need for targeted, language-sensitive interventions.