Do pain management apps use evidence-based psychological components? A systematic review of app content and quality

MacPherson, Megan; Bakker, Anne; Anderson, Koby; Holtzman, Susan

doi:10.1080/24740527.2022.2030212

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Communication platforms available in some health care settings, such as MyChart, can facilitate patient–provider communication and expedite evaluation and refinement of the treatment plan. Additionally, smartphone pain management apps and watch-based sensing technology apps can be used to capture health data to share with the health care team 29, 30…”

Section: Caregiver Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions

Arnstein

Shade

Herr

et al. 2023

AJN, American Journal of Nursing

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This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home. This new group of articles provides practical information nurses can share with family caregivers of persons living with pain. To use this series, nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet—Information for Family Caregivers—and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

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Section: Caregiver Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, smartphone pain management apps and watch-based sensing technology apps can be used to capture health data to share with the health care team. 29,30…”

Section: Caregiver Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions

Arnstein

Shade

Herr

et al. 2023

AJN, American Journal of Nursing

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“…Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) have been widely researched and developed to facilitate personal pain management, and communication with healthcare providers. In a 2015 review “ There's an App for That Pain ,” Lalloo listed nearly 300 pain apps for personal and research purposes ( 19 ) [a count that has reached 508 market-place apps by the end of 2021 ( 20 )]. More recent apps such as Manage My Pain include features that help patients track their pain, function, and medication; respond to questionnaires; and make those reports and data available to clinicians who can remotely study clinically relevant trends and discover patterns using advanced analytics ( 21 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a digital citizen lab for capturing data about alternative ways of self-managing chronic pain: An attitudinal user study

Khalili-Mahani¹,

Woods²,

Holowka³

et al. 2022

Front. Rehabilit. Sci.

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BackgroundMyriad psychosocial and cultural factors influence personal ways of coping with chronic pain (CP). Mobile health (mHealth) apps facilitate creation of citizen laboratories outside clinical frameworks. However, issues of safety, privacy and technostress must be addressed. This attitudinal user study aimed to assess whether persons with persistent pain (PwPP) would be open to sharing qualitative and quantitative data about their self-management of CP via mHealth platforms.MethodsIn March 2020, we invited PwPPs, their personal or medical caregivers, or those interested in the development of an app for researching alternative ways of self-managing CP to complete an anonymous survey. We formulated an attitudinal survey within the theoretical framework of stress to estimate whether the novelty, unpredictability, and risks of data-sharing via mHealth apps concerned users. Descriptive statistics (% Part/Group) were used to interpret the survey, and open comments were reflectively analyzed to identify emerging themes.ResultsOf 202 responses (June 2021), 127 identified as PwPPs (average age 43.86 ± 14.97; 100/127 female), and listed several primary and secondary CP diagnoses. In almost 90% of PwPPs, physical and emotional wellbeing were affected by CP. More than 90% of PwPPs used alternative therapies (acupuncture, homeopathy, massage therapy, etc.). Attitude toward mHealth apps were positive even though nearly half of PwPPs were unfamiliar with them. More than 72% of respondents were open to using a health-related app as a research tool for data collection in real life situations. Comprehensive data collection (especially about psychosocial factors) was the most important requirement. More respondents (especially medical professionals) were concerned about health hazards of misinformation communicated via health-related information and communication systems (maximum 80%) than about privacy (maximum 40%). Qualitative analyses revealed several promises and impediments to creation of data-sharing platforms for CP.ConclusionsThis study shows a general willingness among PwPPs to become partners in studying alternative pain management. Despite a generally positive attitude toward the concept of sharing complex personal data to advance research, heterogeneity of attitudes shaped by personal experiences must be considered. Our study underlines the need for any digital strategy for CP research to be person-centered and flexible.

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“…Among the mobile apps publicly available for iOS and Android devices, options catering specifically to acute pain are limited. A systematic review of commercially available pain management apps recommended 3 apps: Curable, Pathways, and Vivify; however, all of these apps were designed for chronic pain [19]. The systematic review found Achy Penguin to be the only available app in Canada that specifically manages acute pain, but it is designed for young children and does not fulfill the needs of older adults [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A systematic review of commercially available pain management apps recommended 3 apps: Curable, Pathways, and Vivify; however, all of these apps were designed for chronic pain [19]. The systematic review found Achy Penguin to be the only available app in Canada that specifically manages acute pain, but it is designed for young children and does not fulfill the needs of older adults [19]. Previous studies on the use of mHealth to manage pain were promising in improving pain outcomes, but more research is required in this field, as many mHealth apps remain unvalidated by scientific means [12,[20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile App Prototype in Older Adults for Postfracture Acute Pain Management: User-Centered Design Approach

Tran-Nguyen¹,

Berger²,

Bennett³

et al. 2022

JMIR Aging

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Background Postfracture acute pain is often inadequately managed in older adults. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies can offer opportunities for self-management of pain; however, insufficient apps exist for acute pain management after a fracture, and none are designed for an older adult population. Objective This study aims to design, develop, and evaluate an mHealth app prototype using a human-centered design approach to support older adults in the self-management of postfracture acute pain. Methods This study used a multidisciplinary and user-centered design approach. Overall, 7 stakeholders (ie, 1 clinician-researcher specialized in internal medicine, 2 user experience designers, 1 computer science researcher, 1 clinical research assistant researcher, and 2 pharmacists) from the project team, together with 355 external stakeholders, were involved throughout our user-centered development process that included surveys, requirement elicitation, participatory design workshops, mobile app design and development, mobile app content development, and usability testing. We completed this study in 3 phases. We analyzed data from prior surveys administered to 305 members of the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network and 34 health care professionals to identify requirements for designing a low-fidelity prototype. Next, we facilitated 4 participatory design workshops with 6 participants for feedback on content, presentation, and interaction with our proposed low-fidelity prototype. After analyzing the collected data using thematic analysis, we designed a medium-fidelity prototype. Finally, to evaluate our medium-fidelity prototype, we conducted usability tests with 10 participants. The results informed the design of our high-fidelity prototype. Throughout all the phases of this development study, we incorporated inputs from health professionals to ensure the accuracy and validity of the medical content in our prototypes. Results We identified 3 categories of functionalities necessary to include in the design of our initial low-fidelity prototype: the need for support resources, diary entries, and access to educational materials. We then conducted a thematic analysis of the data collected in the design workshops, which revealed 4 themes: feedback on the user interface design and usability, requests for additional functionalities, feedback on medical guides and educational materials, and suggestions for additional medical content. On the basis of these results, we designed a medium-fidelity prototype. All the participants in the usability evaluation tests found the medium-fidelity prototype useful and easy to use. On the basis of the feedback and difficulties experienced by participants, we adjusted our design in preparation for the high-fidelity prototype. Conclusions We designed, developed, and evaluated an mHealth app to support older adults in the self-management of pain after a fracture. The participants found our proposed prototype useful for managing acute pain and easy to interact with and navigate. Assessment of the clinical outcomes and long-term effects of our proposed mHealth app will be evaluated in the future.

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Do pain management apps use evidence-based psychological components? A systematic review of app content and quality

Cited by 24 publications

References 62 publications

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions

Managing Older Adults' Chronic Pain: Higher-Risk Interventions

Toward a digital citizen lab for capturing data about alternative ways of self-managing chronic pain: An attitudinal user study

Mobile App Prototype in Older Adults for Postfracture Acute Pain Management: User-Centered Design Approach

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