Pain management programmes via video conferencing: a rapid review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Technology
• Pain Management
• Telehealth

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to remote healthcare, including video consultations.
• While one-to-one video consultations are well-documented, literature on group interventions via video conferencing is scarce.
• Group pain management programs are a standard offering in many pain services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent of video conferencing use for group pain management programs.
• To provide an overview of current practices and challenges in delivering these interventions remotely.

Main Methods:

• A rapid literature review was conducted up to April 2020, searching PubMed, PsycINFO, and PEDro.
• The search strategy combined terms related to pain, peer groups, and videoconferencing/telemedicine/remote consultation.
• Included studies were assessed for methodological quality and risk of bias.

Main Results:

• Only three eligible papers were identified, all of low methodological quality.
• Significant heterogeneity in study designs, interventions, and outcome reporting prevented data pooling.
• Findings indicate that videoconferencing for group programs is feasible, but literature on effective implementation is limited.

Conclusions:

• There is a lack of robust evidence to support or guide the use of synchronous videoconferencing for pain management programs.
• Key considerations for implementing video conferencing in group pain management are discussed.
• Further high-quality research is essential to address the current evidence gaps.