UG3 Project: Personalized Auricular Point Acupressure for Chronic Pain Self-Management in Rural Populations (APA-SM)

Auricular point acupressure (APA) is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological treatment for chronic pain that involves applying Vaccaria seed pellets to standardized points on the ear to relieve pain. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an APA self-management (APA-SM) intervention tailored for rural individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), with the goal of integrating the program into rural healthcare settings and communities. To refine the APA-SM program, two phases of qualitative interviews were conducted: focus group interviews (AIM 1) and individual interviews (AIM 2) with rural stakeholders. The focus groups included six interviews with three key groups—rural patients with CMP, pain care providers, and healthcare administrators—to gather perspectives on tailoring a smartphone-based APA-SM program, identifying implementation barriers, understanding clinical workflows, and supporting integration into rural pain care. In the second phase, eleven rural individuals with CMP participated in individual interviews following a two-week APA-SM pilot test to evaluate their experiences and outcomes. These interviews explored participants’ perceptions of pain relief, ease of use, satisfaction, and confidence in using the intervention. Findings from both phases were used to refine and adapt the APA-SM program to improve its feasibility, accessibility, and potential for broader implementation in rural communities.