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Review
. 2021 Nov 25;18(23):12416.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph182312416.

Open Issues and Practical Suggestions for Telemedicine in Chronic Pain

Marco Cascella  1 , Franco Marinangeli  2 , Alessandro Vittori  3 , Cristina Scala  4 , Massimo Piccinini  5 , Alessandro Braga  6 , Luca Miceli  7 , Renato Vellucci  8
Affiliations
Review

Open Issues and Practical Suggestions for Telemedicine in Chronic Pain

Marco Cascella et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Telemedicine represents a major opportunity to facilitate continued assistance for patients with chronic pain and improve their access to care. Preliminary data show that an improvement can be expected of the monitoring, treatment adherence, assessment of treatment effect including the emotional distress associated with pain. Moreover, this approach seems to be convenient and cost-effective, and particularly suitable for personalized treatment. Nevertheless, several open issues must be highlighted such as identification of assessment tools, implementation of monitoring instruments, and ability to evaluate personal needs and expectations. Open questions exist, such as how to evaluate the need for medical intervention and interventional procedures, and how to define when a clinical examination is required for certain conditions. In this context, it is necessary to establish dynamic protocols that provide the right balance between face-to-face visits and telemedicine. Useful tips are provided to start an efficient experience. More data are needed to develop precise operating procedures. In the meantime, the first experiences from such settings can pave the way to initiate effective care pathways in chronic pain.

Keywords: chronic pain; functionality; health-related quality of life; healthcare delivery; telemedicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

R.V., A.V., F.M., C.S., M.C., L.M. and M.P. report no conflict of interest in this work. A.B. is employed in Grunenthal Italia srl, Italy.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Telemedicine pathway for addressing chronic pain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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