The focus of current pain studies is mainly on diseases at a population level, which can mask the variation between individuals. Although traditional subgroup analysis could be considered a way to explore such variations, it normally considers one variable at a time which could not satisfy the interest to explore the variation at an individual level. Recently proposed analysis framework for heterogeneity of treatment effects could facilitate these explorations. UK Biobank is a large database that has collected comprehensive information about pain, particularly in its 2019 “experience of pain” self-assessment questionnaire. In addition, the UK Biobank has a range of other covariates, including but not limited to genetic, environmental, social, and primary care variables. Therefore, it is very suitable for using UK Biobank to explore the heterogeneity of treatment effects in pain development, prognosis, and management. The first aim of this study is to explore the heterogeneity of treatment effects in pain development to facilitate the prevention of pain, especially chronic or widespread pain. The second aim is to explore the heterogeneity of treatment effects in pain prognosis to help identify high-risk individuals when considering the influence of the pain. The third aim is to explore the heterogeneity of treatment effects in pain management to help determine whether one specific intervention is suitable for an individual and about the treatment selection to maximize benefit and minimize risk. We plan to finish this project in 36 months.
