Benefits of Mobile Apps in Pain Management: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Pain is a common condition with a significant physical, psychosocial, and economic impact. Due to enormous progress in mobile device technology as well as the increase in smartphone ownership in the general population, mobile apps can be used to monitor patients with pain and support them in pain management.

Objective: The aim of this review was to assess the efficacy of smartphone or computer tablet apps in the management of patients with pain.

Methods: In December 2017, a literature search was performed in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and PsycINFO. In addition, a bibliography search was conducted. We included studies with at least 20 participants per arm that evaluated the effects of apps on smartphones or computer tablets on improvement in pain.

Results: A total of 15 studies with 1962 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 4 studies examined the effect of mobile apps on pain management in an in-clinic setting and 11 in an out-clinic setting. The majority of the original studies reported beneficial effects of the use of a pain app. Severity of pain decreased in most studies where patients were using an app compared with patients not using an app. Other outcomes, such as worst pain or quality of life showed improvements in patients using an app. Due to heterogeneity between the original studies-patient characteristics, app content, and study setting-a synthesis of the results by statistical methods was not performed.

Conclusions: Apps for pain management may be beneficial for patients, particularly in an out-clinic setting. Studies have shown that pain apps are workable and well liked by patients and health care professionals. There is no doubt that in the near future, mobile technologies will develop further. Medicine could profit from this development as indicated by our results, but there is a need for more scientific inputs. It is desirable to know which elements of apps or additional devices and tools may improve usability and help patients in pain management.

Keywords: cell phone; mobile application; pain; pain management; review; smartphone; telemedicine.

Figure 1

Study flow.

Figure 2

Improvement in pain over time in multiple armed studies. Pain scale (Numeric Rating Scale): 0-10.

Figure 3

Forest plot of intervention effect on pain in multiple armed studies. Pain scale (Numeric Rating Scale): 0-10.

Figure 4

Decrease in pain in out-clinic before-after studies and in the retrospective data analysis. Pain scale (Numeric Rating Scale): 0-10.

Figure 5

Decrease in pain in in-clinic before-after studies. Pain scale (Numeric Rating Scale): 0-10.