Chan Ramony, Brady Bernadette, Zou Judy, McMullan Matthew, Ali Sandhiya, Naidu Subram, Bazina Renata
University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Department of Pain Medicine, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
PLoS One. 2025 May 30;20(5):e0325298. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325298. eCollection 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes in healthcare, particularly in pain management. To maintain care, the Multidisciplinary Activity Improvement Program (MAiP), at the Department of Pain Medicine, Liverpool Hospital, was adapted for delivery through telehealth. Although MAiP's effectiveness is well-documented, its telehealth adaptation has not been studied. This study retrospectively assesses the feasibility, effectiveness trends, and acceptability of a telehealth-based pain program.
Using a single-group retrospective cohort design, participants were patients who completed the telehealth-based MAiP between 2020 and 2022. Primary outcomes: pain severity, pain interference, anxiety, stress, depression, pain self-efficacy, and pain catastrophising, were evaluated pre- and post-treatment. Participants' satisfaction with the program was assessed through a post-program survey. Data analysis employed a generalised estimation equation modelling technique.
33 patients were enrolled in a telehealth MAIP during the study period, with outcomes available for 22 patients (68% female, mean age 51.45 ± 10.41, 72.7% with pain duration >5 years). Significant improvements were observed in the primary outcome measures, indicating the effectiveness of the telehealth-based MAiP. Standardised effect sizes (ES) for all outcomes ranged from small to large. Of the 22 participants, 14 completed the satisfaction survey, with the majority expressing satisfaction and finding the telehealth-based program beneficial.
The study's findings present initial evidence for the effectiveness and acceptability of delivering pain management group programs via telehealth, expanding the range of services available to patients. These promising results advocate for continued exploration of telehealth as a vital avenue for pain management service delivery, warranting further investigation and advancement in this evolving field.
新冠疫情给医疗保健带来了重大变化，尤其是在疼痛管理方面。为了维持护理，利物浦医院疼痛医学部的多学科活动改进计划（MAiP）进行了调整，以通过远程医疗提供服务。尽管MAiP的有效性已有充分记录，但其远程医疗适应性尚未得到研究。本研究回顾性评估了基于远程医疗的疼痛项目的可行性、有效性趋势和可接受性。
采用单组回顾性队列设计，参与者为2020年至2022年期间完成基于远程医疗的MAiP的患者。主要结局指标：疼痛严重程度、疼痛干扰、焦虑、压力、抑郁、疼痛自我效能感和疼痛灾难化思维，在治疗前后进行评估。通过项目后的调查评估参与者对该项目的满意度。数据分析采用广义估计方程建模技术。
在研究期间，33名患者参加了远程医疗MAIP，22名患者有可用结局数据（68%为女性，平均年龄51.45±10.41岁，72.7%疼痛持续时间>5年）。主要结局指标有显著改善，表明基于远程医疗的MAiP有效。所有结局指标的标准化效应量（ES）从小到大都有。22名参与者中，14名完成了满意度调查，大多数人表示满意并认为基于远程医疗的项目有益。
该研究结果为通过远程医疗提供疼痛管理团体项目的有效性和可接受性提供了初步证据，扩大了患者可获得的服务范围。这些有前景的结果支持继续探索将远程医疗作为疼痛管理服务提供的重要途径，在这个不断发展的领域值得进一步研究和推进。
