Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Sep;40(3):391-404.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.12.021. Epub 2010 Jun 30.

In-clinic use of electronic pain diaries: barriers of implementation among pain physicians

Lisa D Marceau  1 , Carol L Link, Lauren D Smith, Sarah J Carolan, Robert N Jamison
Affiliations

In-clinic use of electronic pain diaries: barriers of implementation among pain physicians

Lisa D Marceau et al. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine barriers to the use of electronic diaries within the clinic setting and determine outcome differences between patients who used electronic diaries to monitor their progress with summary data feedback and patients who monitored their progress with paper diaries without summary data feedback.

Methods: One hundred thirty-four (n=134) chronic pain patients were asked to monitor their pain, mood, activity interference, medication use, and pain location on either a paper or electronic diary immediately before each monthly clinic visit for 10 months. Patients and their treating physicians in the electronic diary group (n=67) were able to observe changes in their ratings whereas patients using the paper diaries (n=67) had no feedback about their data entry.

Results: Most participants believed that completing pain diaries was beneficial; yet, only 23% of patients in the experimental condition felt that the data from the electronic diaries improved their care and less than 15% believed that their doctor made a change in their treatment based on the summary diary information.

Conclusion: In general, treating physicians were positive about the use of electronic diaries, although they admitted that they did not regularly incorporate the summary data in their treatment decision making because either they forgot or they were too busy. Future studies in understanding barriers to physicians' and patients' use of diary data to impact treatment outcome are needed to improve care for persons with chronic pain.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of patient inclusion.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Sample of the graphs and pain sites generated by the monthly electronic diary data – Pain and Activity Charts
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Sample of the graphs and pain sites generated by the monthly electronic diary data - Body Map Data.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Maniadakis N, Gray A. The economic burden of back pain in the UK. Pain. 2002;84:95–103. - PubMed
    1. Elliott TE, Murray DM, Elliot BA, et al. Physician knowledge and attitudes about cancer pain management: a survey from the Minnesota Cancer Pain Project. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1995;10:494–504. - PubMed
    1. Simoens S, Scott A, Sibbald B. Job satisfaction, work-related stress and intentions to quit of Scottish GPS. Scot Med J. 2002;47:80–86. - PubMed
    1. Marwick C. New advocates of adequate treatment say have no fear of pain or prosecution. JAMA. 1999;281:406–407. - PubMed
    1. Joranson DE, Gilson AM, Dahl JL, Haddox JD. Pain management, controlled substances, and state medical board policy: a decade of change. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2002;23:138–147. - PubMed

Publication types