The efficacy of mobile health interventions used to manage acute or chronic pain: A systematic review

Utilizing Digital Tools for Self-Report Symptom Assessment and Management in Pediatric Oncology: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

This study aims to identify, evaluate, and summarize evidence on digital tools that enable self-reported symptom assessment and management for pediatric oncology patients.

METHODS

Seven academic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Medline (OVID), were searched systematically from inception until February 28, 2024. Inclusion criteria were the following: (a) study subjects were pediatric oncology patients and young adults, (b) using digital tools, (c) self-report symptom assessment and management, (d) employed either qualitative or quantitative study design, (e) written in English (f) published in peer-reviewed journals. This is a systematic review, and its protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024528285). The study was conducted following the PRISMA statement.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven studies were included in this systematic review. All included studies were conducted to develop digital tools for assessing and managing the symptoms. Eight of these studies focused only on the pain; three were only for nausea and vomiting, one for nausea, and the other 15 for all symptoms. The studies' quality ranged from low to high, with overall scores ranging between 4 and 24 out of 28.

CONCLUSION

It shows that studies have generally focused on developing digital tools to address pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms commonly experienced by pediatric oncology patients. While the quality of the included studies ranged from low to high, the overall findings show promise for the effectiveness and usability of these digital tools for symptom assessment and management in pediatric oncology care.

Low back pain self-management mobile applications: a systematic review on digital platforms

OBJECTIVE

To identify and analyze the features and quality of self-management support of mobile applications available in Brazil for chronic low back pain in adults.

METHOD

A systematic review on the Apple Store® and Google Play® digital platforms. The Self-Management Support Assessment Tool scale was used to assess self-management support and the Institute for Healthcare Informatics Functionality Score scale was used to assess functionality.

RESULTS

Seventeen applications were selected, which included around seven self-management skills. The applications that met the majority of self-management support skills were Pathways, Branch, Pancea, Pain Navigator, and Curable. The Curable, Branch and MoovButh applications had the highest scores, with ten features on the functionality scale.

CONCLUSION

Some applications have the potential to complement in-person treatment in terms of validity, acceptability and clinical usefulness in pain management. However, barriers such as lack of partnership between healthcare providers and patients, limited evidence-based content, social support, cultural relevance, cost, language, security and privacy can limit their sustained use. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022382686.

Mobile Health App and Web Platform (eDOL) for Medical Follow-Up of Patients With Chronic Pain: Cohort Study Involving the French eDOL National Cohort After 1 Year

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain affects approximately 30% of the general population, severely degrades quality of life and professional life, and leads to additional health care costs. Moreover, the medical follow-up of patients with chronic pain remains complex and provides only fragmentary data on painful daily experiences. This situation makes the management of patients with chronic pain less than optimal and may partly explain the lack of effectiveness of current therapies. Real-life monitoring of subjective and objective markers of chronic pain using mobile health (mHealth) programs could better characterize patients, chronic pain, pain medications, and daily impact to help medical management.

OBJECTIVE

This cohort study aimed to assess the ability of our mHealth tool (eDOL) to collect extensive real-life medical data from chronic pain patients after 1 year of use. The data collected in this way would provide new epidemiological and pathophysiological data on chronic pain.

METHODS

A French national cohort of patients with chronic pain treated at 18 pain clinics has been established and followed up using mHealth tools. This cohort makes it possible to collect the determinants and repercussions of chronic pain and their evolutions in a real-life context, taking into account all environmental events likely to influence chronic pain. The patients were asked to complete several questionnaires, body schemes, and weekly meters, and were able to interact with a chatbot and use educational modules on chronic pain. Physicians could monitor their patients' progress in real time via an online platform.

RESULTS

The cohort study included 1427 patients and analyzed 1178 patients. The eDOL tool was able to collect various sociodemographic data; specific data for characterizing pain disorders, including body scheme; data on comorbidities related to chronic pain and its psychological and overall impact on patients' quality of life; data on drug and nondrug therapeutics and their benefit-to-risk ratio; and medical or treatment history. Among the patients completing weekly meters, 49.4% (497/1007) continued to complete them after 3 months of follow-up, and the proportion stabilized at 39.3% (108/275) after 12 months of follow-up. Overall, despite a fairly high attrition rate over the follow-up period, the eDOL tool collected extensive data. This amount of data will increase over time and provide a significant volume of health data of interest for future research involving the epidemiology, care pathways, trajectories, medical management, sociodemographic characteristics, and other aspects of patients with chronic pain.

CONCLUSIONS

This work demonstrates that the mHealth tool eDOL is able to generate a considerable volume of data concerning the determinants and repercussions of chronic pain and their evolutions in a real-life context. The eDOL tool can incorporate numerous parameters to ensure the detailed characterization of patients with chronic pain for future research and pain management.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04880096; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04880096.

Non-pharmacological management of neuropathic pain in older adults: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Neuropathic pain encompasses multiple diagnoses with detrimental impacts on quality of life and overall health. In older adults, pharmacological management is limited by adverse effects and drug interactions, while surgical management involves perioperative risk. Prior reviews addressing non-pharmacological interventions for neuropathic pain have not focused on this demographic. Therefore, this systematic review synthesizes the evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in reducing neuropathic pain severity in older adults.

METHODS

PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycInfo were searched using key terms, with inclusion criteria of age ≥ 65, neuropathic pain, non-pharmacological intervention, pain severity measurement, English language, peer-reviewed, and either randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-experimental design. In total, 2759 records were identified, with an additional 28 records identified by review of reference lists. After removal of duplicates, 2288 records were screened by title and abstract, 404 full-text articles were assessed, and 19 articles were critically reviewed and synthesized.

RESULTS

Of the 14 RCTs and 5 quasi-experimental studies included in the review, the most common intervention was electric and/or magnetic therapy, followed by acupuncture, mindfulness meditation, exercise, and light therapy. Several studies revealed both statistical and clinical significance, but conclusions were limited by small sample sizes and methodological shortcomings. The interventions were generally safe and acceptable.

CONCLUSIONS

Results should be interpreted with consideration of clinical vs statistical significance, mediators of pain severity, and individual variations in effectiveness. Further research should address multimodal and novel interventions, newer models of care, and technology-based interventions.

Evaluating the Clinical Use and Utility of a Digital Support App for Employees With Chronic Pain Returning to Work (SWEPPE): Observational Study

BACKGROUND

The digital app SWEPPE (sustainable worker, a digital support for persons with chronic pain and their employers) was developed to improve the support of people with chronic pain in their return-to-work process after sick leave and includes functions such as the action plan, daily self-rating, self-monitoring graphs, the coach, the library, and shared information with the employer.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to describe the use of the smartphone app SWEPPE among people with chronic pain who have participated in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program.

METHODS

This is a case study including 16 people participating in a feasibility study. The analyses were based on user data collected for 3 months. Quantitative data regarding used functions were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and qualitative data of identified needs of support from the employer were grouped into 8 categories.

RESULTS

Self-monitoring was used by all participants (median 26, IQR 8-87 daily registrations). A total of 11 (N=16, 69%) participants set a work-related goal and performed weekly evaluations of goal fulfillment and ratings of their work ability. In total, 9 (56%) participants shared information with their employer and 2 contacted the coach. A total of 15 (94%) participants identified a total of 51 support interventions from their employer. Support to adapt to work assignments and support to adapt to work posture were the 2 biggest categories. The most common type of support identified by 53% (8/15) of the participants was the opportunity to take breaks and short rests.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants used multiple SWEPPE functions, such as daily self-registration, goal setting, self-monitoring, and employer support identification. This shows the flexible nature of SWEPPE, enabling individuals to select functions that align with their needs. Additional research is required to investigate the extended use of SWEPPE and how employers use shared employee information.

Mobile Phone-Based Telemonitoring for Improving Adherence to Analgesic Treatment in Trauma Patients After Emergency Department Discharge: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of mobile-phone telemonitoring on patients' adherence and satisfaction with posttrauma pain treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective randomized clinical trial including patients with minor trauma discharged from the emergency department (ED) with analgesic treatment. Patients were randomized to one of 3 groups, the control group, where patients received a phone call on day-7, the short message service (SMS) group, where patients received a daily text message to remind them to take their treatment during 7 days, and the mobile-phone based telemonitoring (TLM) group. Patients' adherence to analgesic treatments using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, current pain by using a visual analogue scale, and patients' satisfaction were assessed. For the TLM group, the assessment was performed at day-2, 4 and 7.

RESULTS

Good adherence was observed in 418 patients (92.9%) in the TLM group versus 398 patients (88.6%) in the SMS group and 380 patients (84.8%) in the control group ( P <0.001). The factor mostly associated with adherence was telemonitoring (OR 2.40 95% CI 1.55-3.71). The decrease in pain visual analogue scale was highest in the TLM group compared with SMS and control groups ( P <0.001). The percentage of patients' satisfaction at 7 days post-ED discharge was 93% in the TLM group versus 88% in the SMS group and 84% in the standard group ( P =0.02).

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that mobile-phone-based telemonitoring is beneficial in the treatment of pain in trauma patients after ED discharge. This approach improved patients' adherence and satisfaction.

Outlooks on using a mobile health intervention for supportive pain management for children and adolescents with cancer: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Considerable improvements in the prognosis of pediatric cancer patients have been achieved over recent decades due to advances in treatment. Nevertheless, as the most common and distressing health issue for pediatrics with cancer, cancer-related pain is still a significant hurdle that impedes patients' journey to recovery, compromises their quality of life, and delays the positive outcome and effectiveness of their treatments.

PURPOSE

Taking into consideration that acceptability studies are imperative for the design, evaluation, and implementation of healthcare interventions, this study aims to explore pediatric oncology patients' readiness to use a mobile health application that emphasizes social assistance and peer support in addition to conventional pain management methods.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study followed the Qualitative description approach. Twelve participants were chosen based on purposive sampling and maximum variation sampling. Interviews were analyzed using the conventional content analysis.

RESULTS

Analysis of the interviews revealed four major categories: (A) The need for connectedness; (B) An innovative way to connect yet fearful; (C) A 3D approach; (D) Fears of the unfamiliar.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first in Lebanon and the region to undertake an initiative towards introducing technology for pain assessment and management of children with cancer through a dedicated digital platform. The study results attested to the acceptability and potential utilization of this platform by children with cancer.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses need to be trained to play an essential role in teaching children with cancer about the significance of social support and assisting them to establish their social support network. Children with cancer are encouraged to voice out their need for help. Our proposed application can create an enabling environment to harness the power of social support and provide children with cancer the opportunity to connect on a deeper level in a supportive and pity-free space.

Telerehabilitation for musculoskeletal pain - An overview of systematic reviews

Background

Alternative measures for minimizing musculoskeletal pain, such as telerehabilitation, can be implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

The aim of the present overview was to examine evidence from systematic reviews of telerehabilitation for managing musculoskeletal pain.

Methods

This study was conducted following the PRISMA recommendations. Searches were conducted of the Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase databases for review articles published from the inception of the database to July 2022. To be included, the studies needed to be a systematic review, include any type of telerehabilitation and present any outcome related to musculoskeletal pain. Studies not available in English were excluded. Theses, dissertations, letters, conference abstracts and narrative reviews were also excluded. The methodological quality of the reviews was appraised using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews criteria. Data extraction was performed by two reviewers and included the characterization of the clinical condition and telerehabilitation program, main outcomes, method for appraising the methodological quality of the primary studies, results and quality of evidence.

Results

The search led to the retrieval of 390 potentially eligible studies and 16 systematic reviews were included in this overview. Eleven reviews had meta-analyses and most had high methodological quality. Five of six systematic reviews reported evidence supporting the telehealth intervention for chronic pain conditions; and two of three high-quality systematic reviews reported the absence of evidence for non-specific low back pain.

Conclusions

This overview of systematic reviews enables a better understanding of the characteristics of telerehabilitation programs, provides information for use in clinical practice and describes gaps in the research that need to be filled.

Contrasting the Expectations and Experiences of Mobile Health Use on Chronic Pain: A Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

Background

Chronic pain is a prolonged condition that deteriorates one's quality of life. Treating chronic pain requires a multicomponent approach, and in many cases, there are no “silver bullet” solutions. Mobile health (mHealth) is a rapidly expanding category of solutions in digital health with proven potential in chronic pain management.

Objective

This study aims to contrast the viewpoints of 2 groups of people with chronic pain concerning mHealth: people who have adopted the use of mHealth and those who have not. We highlight the benefits of mHealth solutions for people with chronic pain and the perceived obstacles to their increased adoption. We also provide recommendations to encourage people to try mHealth solutions as part of their self-care.

Methods

The Prolific crowdsourcing platform was used to collect crowdsourced data. A prescreening questionnaire was released to determine what type of pain potential participants have and whether they are currently using mHealth solutions for chronic pain. The participants were invited based on their experience using mHealth to manage their pain. Similar questions were presented to mHealth users and nonusers. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to determine the outcomes of this study.

Results

In total, 31 responses were collected from people (aged 19-63 years, mean 31.4, SD 12.1) with chronic pain who use mHealth solutions. Two-thirds (n=20, 65%) of the users identified as female and 11 (35%) as male. We matched these mHealth users with an equal number of nonusers: 31 responses from the pool of 361 participants in the prescreening questionnaire. The nonusers’ ages ranged from 18 to 58 years (mean 30.8, SD 11.09), with 15 (50%) identifying as female and 15 (50%) as male. Likert-scale questions were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon (MWW) test. Results showed that the 2 groups differed significantly on 10 (43%) of 23 questions and shared similar views in the remaining 13 (57%). The most significant differences were related to privacy and interactions with health professionals. Of the 31 mHealth users, 12 (39%) declared that using mHealth solutions has made interacting with health or social care professionals easier (vs n=22, 71%, of nonusers). The majority of the nonusers (n=26, 84%) compared with about half of the users (n=15, 48%) expressed concern about sharing their data with, for example, third parties.

Conclusions

This study investigated how mHealth is currently used in the context of chronic pain and what expectations mHealth nonusers have for mHealth as a future chronic pain management tool. Analysis revealed contrasts between mHealth use expectations and actual usage experiences, highlighting privacy concerns toward mHealth solutions. Generally, the results showed that nonusers are more concerned about data privacy and expect mHealth to facilitate interacting with health professionals. The users, in contrast, feel that such connections do not exist.

eDOL mHealth App and Web Platform for Self-monitoring and Medical Follow-up of Patients With Chronic Pain: Observational Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain affects approximately 30% of the general population, severely degrades quality of life (especially in older adults) and professional life (inability or reduction in the ability to work and loss of employment), and leads to billions in additional health care costs. Moreover, available painkillers are old, with limited efficacy and can cause significant adverse effects. Thus, there is a need for innovation in the management of chronic pain. Better characterization of patients could help to identify the predictors of successful treatments, and thus, guide physicians in the initial choice of treatment and in the follow-up of their patients. Nevertheless, current assessments of patients with chronic pain provide only fragmentary data on painful daily experiences. Real-life monitoring of subjective and objective markers of chronic pain using mobile health (mHealth) programs can address this issue.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that regular patient self-monitoring using an mHealth app would lead physicians to obtain deeper understanding and new insight into patients with chronic pain and that, for patients, regular self-monitoring using an mHealth app would play a positive therapeutic role and improve adherence to treatment. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a new mHealth app called eDOL.

METHODS

We conducted an observational study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the eDOL tool. Patients completed several questionnaires using the tool over a period of 2 weeks and repeated assessments weekly over a period of 3 months. Physicians saw their patients at a follow-up visit that took place at least 3 months after the inclusion visit. A composite criterion of the acceptability and feasibility of the eDOL tool was calculated after the completion of study using satisfaction surveys from both patients and physicians.

RESULTS

Data from 105 patients (of 133 who were included) were analyzed. The rate of adherence was 61.9% (65/105) after 3 months. The median acceptability score was 7 (out of 10) for both patients and physicians. There was a high rate of completion of the baseline questionnaires and assessments (mean 89.3%), and a low rate of completion of the follow-up questionnaires and assessments (63.8% (67/105) and 61.9% (65/105) respectively). We were also able to characterize subgroups of patients and determine a profile of those who adhered to eDOL. We obtained 4 clusters that differ from each other in their biopsychosocial characteristics. Cluster 4 corresponds to patients with more disabling chronic pain (daily impact and comorbidities) and vice versa for cluster 1.

CONCLUSIONS

This work demonstrates that eDOL is highly feasible and acceptable for both patients with chronic pain and their physicians. It also shows that such a tool can integrate many parameters to ensure the detailed characterization of patients for future research works and pain management.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrial.gov NCT03931694; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03931694.

An Interactive Pain Application (MServ) Improves Postoperative Pain Management

Background

Most patients have moderate or severe pain after surgery. Opioids are the cornerstone of treating severe pain after surgery but cause problems when continued long after discharge. We investigated the efficacy of multifunction pain management software (MServ) in improving postoperative pain control and reducing opioid prescription at discharge.

Methods

We recruited 234 patients to a prospective cohort study into sequential groups in a nonrandomised manner, one day after major thoracic or urological surgery. Group 1 received standard care (SC, n = 102), group 2 were given a multifunctional device that fed back to the nursing staff alone (DN, n = 66), and group 3 were given the same device that fed back to both the nursing staff and the acute pain team (DNPT, n = 66). Patient-reported pain scores at 24 and 48 hours and patient-reported time in severe pain, medications, and satisfaction were recorded on trial discharge. Findings. Odds of having poor pain control (>1 on 0–4 pain scale) were calculated between standard care (SC) and device groups (DN and DNPT). Patients with a device were significantly less likely to have poor pain control at 24 hours (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25, 0.81) and to report time in severe pain at 48 hours (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.47–0.80). Patients with a device were three times less likely to be prescribed strong opioids on discharge (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.95). Interpretation. Using an mHealth device designed for pain management, rather than standard care, reduced the incidence of poor pain control in the postoperative period and reduced opioid prescription on discharge from hospital.