OT Students Present at Canadian Pain Society

Use of technology for chronic pain management: experiences of adults and Occupational Therapists

Our OT students Tamara and Kellie presented their ongoing work on technology interventions at the Canadian Pain Society Conference this past April 28-30. If you didn’t get a chance to hear them live, no worries! Read more about their work below:

Who/What?

Chronic pain (CP) is a prominent health issue that can negatively affect individuals’ well-being and ability to engage in activities of daily living. With technology evolving rapidly, there is an increased interest in using technology to manage CP. The objectives of this study are to (i) determine the factors influencing adults’ use of technology for CP management and (ii) explore the experiences of Occupational Therapists (OTs) who use technology to help patients with CP.

How?

For this qualitative descriptive study, online semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults (over 18 years old) that self-identify with CP, to gather their experiences with CP and technology. OTs were interviewed to discuss their use of technology to support adults managing CP. No formal definition of technology was provided, allowing participants to use their interpretation of technology (i.e. it did not have to be digital).

Findings

Preliminary analyses of video data from participants interviews indicates that adult participants use a diverse range of technologies for self-management of CP, reflecting their experience of pain as highly individualized. On the other hand, OTs typically use technology as a form of education to teach and reinforce CP self-management strategies. Common factors among adults with CP and OT participants for liking technology to manage CP were: convenience, simplicity and effectiveness.

Importance

Participants’ experiences obtained from this study will help establish knowledge of the types of technology used and the design features that are effective for CP self-management technology.