Department of Digital Health Research, Division of Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2022 Apr 29;22(1):577. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-07963-x.
Chronic pain conditions entail significant personal and societal burdens and improved outreach of evidence-based pain self-management programs are needed. Digital cognitive-behavioral self-management interventions have shown promise. However, evidence is still scarce and several challenges with such interventions for chronic pain exist. Exploring patients' experiences and engagement with digital interventions may be an essential step towards developing meaningful digital self-management interventions for those living with chronic pain.
This study aimed to gain insight into the experiences of people with chronic pain when engaging with EPIO, an application (app)-based cognitive-behavioral pain self-management intervention program.
Participants (N = 50) living with chronic pain received access to the EPIO intervention in a feasibility pilot-study for 3 months. During this time, all participants received a follow-up phone call at 2-3 weeks, and a subsample (n = 15) also participated in individual semi-structured interviews after 3 months. A qualitative design was used and thematic analysis was employed aiming to capture participants' experiences when engaging with the EPIO intervention program.
Findings identifying program-related experiences and engagement were organized into three main topics, each with three sub-themes: (1) Engaging with EPIO; motivation to learn, fostering joy and enthusiasm, and helpful reminders and personalization, (2) Coping with pain in everyday life; awareness, practice and using EPIO in everyday life, and (3) The value of engaging with the EPIO program; EPIO - a friend, making peace with the presence of pain, and fostering communication and social support.
This qualitative study explored participants' experiences and engagement with EPIO, a digital self-management intervention program for people living with chronic pain. Findings identified valued aspects related to motivation for engagement, and showed how such a program may be incorporated into daily life, and encourage a sense of acceptance, social support and relatedness. The findings highlight vital components for facilitating digital program engagement and use in support of self-management for people living with chronic pain.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03705104 .
慢性疼痛状况给个人和社会带来了巨大负担，需要更好地推广基于证据的疼痛自我管理项目。数字认知行为自我管理干预措施已显示出其潜力。然而，目前相关证据仍然有限，且慢性疼痛的此类干预措施仍存在一些挑战。探索患者对数字干预措施的体验和参与情况，可能是为慢性疼痛患者开发有意义的数字自我管理干预措施的重要步骤。
本研究旨在深入了解患有慢性疼痛的患者在使用 EPIO（一种基于应用程序的认知行为疼痛自我管理干预程序）时的体验。
在一项为期 3 个月的可行性试点研究中，50 名患有慢性疼痛的参与者获得了 EPIO 干预措施的使用权限。在此期间，所有参与者在 2-3 周时都会接到一次后续电话，一小部分（n=15）参与者在 3 个月后还参加了个人半结构化访谈。采用定性设计，并进行主题分析，旨在捕捉参与者在使用 EPIO 干预计划时的体验。
确定与项目相关的体验和参与的结果分为三个主要主题，每个主题又有三个子主题：（1）使用 EPIO：学习的动机、培养快乐和热情，以及有益的提醒和个性化，（2）日常生活中的疼痛应对：意识、在日常生活中练习和使用 EPIO，以及（3）参与 EPIO 计划的价值：EPIO-朋友、与疼痛的存在和解，以及促进沟通和社会支持。
本定性研究探讨了参与者对 EPIO（一种用于慢性疼痛患者的数字自我管理干预程序）的体验和参与情况。研究结果确定了与参与动机相关的有价值的方面，并展示了该程序如何融入日常生活，并鼓励接受、社会支持和相关性。研究结果突出了促进数字计划参与和使用以支持慢性疼痛患者自我管理的重要组成部分。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03705104。
