The COPE model: Its clinical usefulness in solving pain-related problems

Significant pain is a problem that always compromises the individual's ability to function. Barriers to adequate pain management are complex and are reinforced by societal attitudes, which are manifested by health care professionals, patients, and caregivers alike. Unrelieved cancer pain is acutely distracting and therefore is inimical to the ability to manage the demands and problems of daily living, The COPE model, a systematic approach to problem-solving, provides the patient and caregiver with the opportunity to work closely with their health care providers and to learn a variety of skills that result in the management of emotions; a specified course of meaningful, focused action; and the ability to reflect on and measure progress toward physical comfort. This article reviews assessment questions that are essential to a psychosocial and behavioral approach to cancer pain and describes four case studies that illustrate how professionals can use the COPE model to structure communication and help patients solve pain-related problems.