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Digital Pain Mapping and Tracking in Patients With Chronic Pain: Longitudinal Study
Maria Galve Villa1, Thorvaldur S Palsson2, Albert Cid Royo1
1Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Center for Sensory Motor Interaction, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|October 26, 2020
Summary
Digital pain mapping effectively tracked pain intensity and distribution in patients with nonmalignant spinal pain over 12 weeks. Younger patients with larger pain areas showed better app compliance, highlighting age and pain extent as factors in reporting behavior.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Digital Health
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Digital pain mapping enables remote, frequent assessment of pain over extended periods.
- Ecological momentary assessment can reveal pain tendencies and fluctuations for better patient insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To remotely map and track pain intensity and distribution in nonmalignant spinal pain patients over 12 weeks using a digital pain mapping app.
- To explore barriers to app use by comparing characteristics of regular versus nonregular users.
Main Methods:
- 91 patients with spinal pain submitted weekly digital pain reports (drawings and intensity ratings) for 12 weeks.
- Validated questionnaires assessed patient characteristics, disability, pain catastrophizing, and app usability.
- Differences in pain reports and user compliance were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Significant fluctuations in pain extent and intensity were observed over time (P<.001).
- Current pain intensity was higher than usual pain intensity (P<.001).
- Regular users were younger and reported larger pain extents than nonregular users.
Conclusions:
- This is the first study using a digital pain mapping app for sustained remote assessment of nonmalignant spinal pain.
- Age, pain distribution, and current pain intensity may influence patient reporting behavior and app compliance.
