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An Online Gamified Pain Management Program for Adults With Chronic Pain: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Mun Yee Mimi Tse1, Jiafan He1, Tyrone Tai On Kwok1
1School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Kowloon, China (Hong Kong).
JMIR Research Protocols
|January 13, 2026
Summary
This study explores a gamified online program to improve chronic pain self-management. Findings aim to enhance engagement and reduce pain intensity in adults with chronic noncancer pain.
Area of Science:
- Digital health interventions
- Pain management research
- Gamification in healthcare
Background:
- Digital interventions for chronic pain show varied effectiveness and low retention rates.
- Lack of feedback, social interaction, and engaging content contribute to poor user adherence.
- Gamification presents a potential solution to boost motivation and engagement in digital health tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of an online gamified pain management program on adults with chronic noncancer pain.
- To assess the effectiveness of gamification in improving self-management strategies for chronic pain.
- To address the heterogeneity in digital intervention effectiveness through an engaging approach.
Main Methods:
- A 2-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial involving 172 participants.
- Comparison between a 10-week gamified program and routine online pain management materials.
- Assessment of primary outcomes (pain intensity, interference) and secondary outcomes (fear avoidance, quality of life, etc.) at baseline, 10 weeks, and 3-month follow-up.
Main Results:
- Recruitment is ongoing, with 19 of 172 participants enrolled as of November 17, 2025.
- The trial is registered (ChiCTR2400094247) and aims to publish results in March 2027.
- Full results will be available after study completion and analysis.
Conclusions:
- The study will evaluate a novel gamified intervention for chronic pain self-management.
- Findings are expected to offer an engaging solution to improve outcomes for individuals with chronic pain.
- This research addresses a gap in understanding the efficacy of gamified digital health tools in pain management.
