Research on outcome of treatment at INPUT includes all possible patients since the unit started. Questions about "success rate" have to be broken down to be answered properly:

success in relation to how the patient was before INPUT, or to healthy people of the same age?

success in physical mobility, or in activity levels, or in work, or in psychological wellbeing, or confidence, or in sleep, or in use of medical treatments and drugs, or in the patient's own satisfaction with the treatment?

when should it be measured - at the end of treatment, or a month later, or a year later, or longer?

We answer those as best we can, comparing patients where possible to healthy people even though our patients still have pain, but always to themselves before treatment; measuring a range of outcomes by different means, and at different times. The first 200 patients were reported in a GP journal in 1993; the first 2000 on the website of the NHS organisation which gave us a grant to do the work, the South Thames NHS Executive R&D Directorate. We have also carried out studies on specific questions about treatment.

On average, patients who complete treatment - and that's over 90% of those who are admitted - can walk 50% further in 5 minutes; are less limited in their everyday lives (including work), are more confident of managing their pain and less distressed by it; and are using far fewer of the analgesic and psychotropic drugs they are taking at admission. At one month and 9 month follow-up, those who come back or fill in questionnaires and return them tell us that those gains are largely maintained, and many have not returned for further pain treatment and are still taking less drugs or none at all. Satisfaction ratings are high, and many patients report continuing to use relaxation routines and pacing very regularly, and to a lesser extent, exercise, stretch, and cognitive self-talk.

These results compare very well with those of the best pain management programmes internationally, as summarised in systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials of pain management [Morley et al.]. They also compare well with medical treatments in widespread use in chronic pain [Williams 1995]. [more on measuring outcome]

References

Williams ACdeC, Nicholas MK, Richardson PH, Pither CE, Justins DM, Chamberlain JH, Harding JR, Ralphs JA, Jones SC, Dieudonne I, Featherstone JD, Hodgson DR, Ridout KL, Shannon EM (1993). Evaluation of a cognitive behavioural programme for rehabilitating patients with chronic pain. British Journal of General Practice 43, 513-518.

Williams ACdeC, Morley S, Black S (2002). Grant report: Empirical evaluation of best practice in chronic pain management: influence of patient characteristics and treatment type on outcome. www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/refr_web.nsf

Williams ACdeC (1995). NNTs used in decision-making in chronic pain management. Bandolier: Evidence-based Health Care No 22, 3.

Morley SJ, Eccleston C, Williams ACdeC (1999). Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of cognitive behaviour therapy and behaviour therapy for chronic pain in adults, excluding headache. Pain 80, 1-13.