E-health reduces patient pain, opioids in clinical study

An internet “e-health” program helped extra individuals with power ache scale back their opioid drugs and ache depth than a management group that had solely common remedy in a latest medical research.

Within the research revealed within the journal Ache, about 400 members who had been prescribed long-term opioid remedy for his or her ache have been divided into two teams: one acquired remedy as standard and one other acquired remedy and entry to a self-guided, e-health program. Of the e-health group, greater than half, 53.6%, have been capable of scale back their opioid drugs by 15% or extra after six months in comparison with 42.3% of sufferers within the management group.

“These have been very encouraging findings: not solely have been they decreasing opioids but in addition their ache was not turning into worse,” mentioned Marian Wilson, a Washington State College nursing affiliate professor and the research’s lead writer. “Some individuals are hesitant to cease their opioid medicine as a result of they concern their ache will improve, however we discovered that no less than on common on this inhabitants, they might scale back their opioids a bit and never have elevated ache signs.”

An estimated 50 million individuals within the U.S. have power ache and about 18 million are prescribed long-term opioid remedy. Since opioid use dangers embrace dependancy and even unintentional dying, researchers are trying to find alternate options to assist these sufferers.

Firstly of this research, all of the members rated their power ache at a median depth of 5 or 6 on a 0 to10 level scale with 10 being essentially the most excessive ache. Power ache can come up from a spread of circumstances that haven’t any remedy, and the research members had a spread of diagnoses together with arthritis, again ache, fibromyalgia and migraines.

On the finish of the research, 14.5% of the e-health group reported that their ache was decreased by 2 factors or extra. Solely 6.8% within the management group had the identical stage of ache lower. The researchers additionally noticed the sufferers improved their ache data, confidence managing ache and coping abilities.

For this research, the researchers used a psychologist-designed e-health program, known as Goalistics Power Ache Administration. This self-guided course goals to assist individuals handle their very own ache and its many impacts on their lives. This system incorporates a mixture of ache monitoring instruments, cognitive remedy, train suggestions and relationship recommendation in addition to details about opioid use and dangers.

This system offers content material just like what a affected person would possibly obtain from a psychologist who makes a speciality of ache, a remedy that is not simply accessible for everybody, mentioned Wilson.

Whereas comparable packages exist, the researchers selected this one as a result of it’s broadly accessible within the U.S. and delivered totally on-line. Wilson additionally examined the Goalistics program in earlier analysis offering preliminary information for this research’s giant, randomized trial.

Since ache is such an individualized expertise, the authors argue that sufferers can profit from self-management packages to allow them to observe their ache ranges and experiment with totally different methods.

“The thought is to place the affected person within the driver’s seat as a result of we can provide them a prescription for opioids, and that can work for a short time, however over time for power ache, it is not often going to be the answer to repair all their troubles,” she mentioned.

Wilson added that power ache sufferers usually have temper, social and bodily functioning points that additionally want consideration.

The findings present extra proof that on-line self-management packages are helpful for power ache sufferers, and a wide range of companies, together with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, help their widespread use.

On the time of this research, the e-health program had a month-to-month $30 charge. Whereas comparatively cheap in comparison with remedy by a ache psychologist, some of these packages should not lined by most insurance coverage within the U.S. Different international locations together with Canada and Australia present comparable packages to sufferers without spending a dime, and Wilson is at present engaged on a mission that goals to attain larger entry within the U.S.

Along with Wilson, research co-authors embrace Rowena Dolor of Duke College in addition to Daniel Lewis, Saundra Regan, Mary Beth Vonder Meulen and T. John Winhusen of College of Cincinnati.