Table 2.

Overview of the codebooks.

Codebook, theme		Subtheme
Disease codebook
	Chronic pain lexicon	metaphor/imagery: “severe” scale/level: “flare,” “worsening,” “extreme,” “constant,” “exhausting,” “aching,” “horrible,” “debilitating” other lexicon
	Symptoms	fatigue depression, anxiety irritable bowel syndrome symptoms insomnia nausea, vomiting confusion, brain fog dizziness, vertigo neuropathy other symptoms
	Key challenges	quality of life impact poor disease management lack of diagnosis or misdiagnosis stigma and social impact bad health care provider emotional impact comorbidities lack of support finding health care provider flares limited health literacy impact on loved ones loss of independence/autonomy
	Measures of success	good disease management finding support successful diagnosis improving quality of life finding good health care provider health literacy decreased stigma remission maintaining autonomy
Treatment codebook
	Treatment type	opioid or narcotic device alternative: item alternative: activity anticonvulsant surgery or procedure sedative or anesthetic nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs steroid muscle relaxant antidepressant other treatment types
	Specific treatments	oxycodone/oxycontin marijuana/cannabis spinal cord stimulator gabapentin physical therapy diet Lyrica tramadol exercise TENSa other specific treatments
	Mode of administration	oral subcutaneous transcutaneous topical sublingual other mode of administration
	Treatment source	health care provider prescription over the counter or web-based store illegal source friends or family
	Treatment emotions	negative (angry, desperate, afraid…) positive (hopeful, satisfied, grateful…) neutral (cautious, curious, confused…)
	Key challenges and barriers	tolerability, side effects lack of efficacy access: health care provider stigma addiction, dependence access: legal quality of life impact lack of health literacy low dosage difficult administration other challenges
	Measures of success	improving quality of life efficacy access tolerability reducing medications lack of stigma lack of addiction other measures of success

^aTENS: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.