Behavioural intervention technologies for self-management of persistent pain (Pain BITS)

Co-creation of digital resources by and for people living with persistent pain.

Chronic or persistent, non-cancer pain is a pervasive and debilitating health problem which affects more than 20% of adults in New Zealand.

Older adults and Māori, people living in areas of high deprivation are at greatest risk of developing persistent pain.

Health delivery via technology to improve health outcomes is a growing research area and could be an important adjunct treatment strategy to use in the management of persistent pain. Web-based technologies for supporting and building self-management skills in people living with persistent pain is one example. Such technology however needs to be not only effective, but also acceptable, useable and culturally appropriate for those for whom it is intended.

The Pain BITS research team, in collaboration with the Pain Management Service at the Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB), have a series of projects currently underway to co-create web-based behavioural intervention technologies for supporting self-management and facilitating behaviour change in people living with persistent pain.

The results of these projects will provide additional resources, which will assist and support people living with persistent pain and clinicians to make informed decisions.

Current research projects include

• Co-creation and piloting of a digital self-help intervention (iSelf-help) for persistent pain (Ongoing – Funded by Health Research Council) www.hrc.govt.nz/funding-opportunities/recipients/professor-leigh-hale-0
• Whānau perspectives on co-creating an online educational resource for persistent pain management (Ongoing – Funded by University of Otago Research Grant)
• Co-production and pilot testing of a “Living well with arthritis pain” video resource (Ongoing – Funded by Arthritis New Zealand Summer Scholarship)

Completed projects:

• Māori health providers' and kaiāwhina (community workers)' perspectives on recommending online resources for persistent pain management (Completed – Funded by Pain@Otago small project grant)
• Healthcare providers' attitudes towards recommending online pain self-management resources for people with persistent pain: a mixed method study (Completed– Part-funded by New Zealand Pain Society).
• Do pain management websites foster self-management support for people with persistent pain – A scoping review (Completed – Funded by the School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago)
• Evaluation of self-management support functions in apps for people with persistent pain – A systematic review (Completed – Funded by Arthritis New Zealand Summer Scholarship)

Research team

• Dr Hemakumar Devan, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Wellington
• Dr Meredith Perry, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Wellington
• Prof Leigh Hale, School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago, Dunedin
• Dr Rebecca Grainger, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington
• Ms Dagmar Hempel, Pain Management Service, Capital and Coast DHB, Wellington
• Ms Barbara Saipe, Pain Management Service, Capital and Coast DHB, Wellington

Collaborators

• Prof Edward Shipton, Department of Anaesthesia, University of Otago, Christchurch
• Prof Tony Dowell, Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington
• Ms Bernadette Jones (Ngā Wairiki, Ngāti Apa), Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington
• Dr Tristram Ingham (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou), Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington
• Ms Cheryl Davies (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati WehiWehi), Māori community partner and Manager of Tu Kutahi Māori Asthma Trust
• Mr Andrew Gray, Department of Preventative and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
• Mr William Leung, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
• Dr Simon Hoermann, Human Interphase Technology (HIT) Lab, University of Canterbury
• Associate Prof Sarah Dean, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
• Dr Hazel Godfrey, Victoria University of Wellington.

Potential Masters or PhD projects

The Pain BITS team would welcome any enquiries with respect to Research Degrees (Masters and PhD) from international or national students.

Students from a range of disciplines (e.g. Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Psychology, Physical Education, and Rehabilitation) are welcome to apply.

Publications

Devan H, Godfrey HK, Perry, MA, Hempel D, Saipe B, Hale L, Grainger, R. (2019). Current practices of health care providers in recommending online resources for chronic pain self-management. Journal of Pain Research, 12, 2457-2472. https://doi: 10.2147/JPR.S206539

Yoshikawa K, Brady B, Perry MA, Devan H. (2019). Sociocultural factors influencing physiotherapy management in culturally and linguistically diverse people with persistent pain – A scoping review. Physiotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2019.08.002

Devan H, Perry MA, van Hattem A, Thurlow G, Shepherd S, Muchemwa C, Grainger R. Do pain management websites foster self-management support for people with persistent pain? A scoping review. Patient Education and Counseling. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2019.04.009

Devan H, Farmery D, Peebles L, Grainger R (2019). Evaluation of Self-Management Support Functions in Apps for People with Persistent Pain: Systematic Review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth 7(2):e13080. https://doi.org/10.2196/13080

Devan H, Hale L, Hempel D, Saipe B, Perry MA. (2018) What works and what doesn't in a self-management intervention for individuals with chronic pain? Qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Physical Therapy, Special issue on Pain management (Open access). https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzy029

Conference presentations

Devan H, Perry MA, Farmery D, Grainger R (2019, March). Do online resources foster self-management support in people with persistent pain?. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Devan H, Jansen L, Kieu J, McLeod W, Neilson K, Sandulescu A, Perry MA (2019, March). Evidence for culturally tailored technology-based interventions for people living with chronic pain from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Farmery D, Devan H, Peebles L, Grainger R (2018, November). Do smartphone apps foster self-management support in people with persistent pain? Health Informatics New Zealand Conference, Wellington, New Zealand. Proceedings of the Health Informatics New Zealand (HiNZ) Conference. (pp. 13). Retrieved from http://www.hinz.org.nz/

Godfrey HK,Devan H, Perry MA, Hempel D, Saipe B, Hale L, Grainger R. (2019, March). Healthcare providers' attitudes towards recommending online self-Management resources for people with persistent pain. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Areli E, Devan H, Godfrey HK, Perry MA, Hempel D, Saipe B, Grainger R, Hale L (2019, March). “I think there is nothing that adjuncts, there is nothing at the moment”: New Zealand healthcare providers' views on online resources for supporting pain self-management. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Devan H, Van Hattem A, Muchemwa C, Shepherd S, Thurlow G, Perry M (2018, April). Self-management websites for people with persistent pain: A scoping review. Australian Pain Society and New Zealand Pain Society Conjoint Conference (Rapid Communication, Platform) View the YouTube of this presentation

Devan H, Van Hattem A, Muchemwa C, Shepherd S, Thurlow G, Perry M (2018, April). Self-management websites for people with persistent pain: A scoping review. Australian Pain Society and New Zealand Pain Society Conjoint Conference (Poster)

Devan H,Perry M, Jones F, Hempel D, Saipe B, Hart A, Joyes B, Rose S, Wong She N, Wallace K, Hale L (2018, April). The lived experience of people with persistent pain: a comparison between a Bridges approach and usual care pain management programme. Australian Pain Society and New Zealand Pain Society Conjoint Conference (Poster)

Devan H, Perry M, Shipton E, Dowell A, Jones B, Ingham T, Gray A, Leung W, Hoermann S, Hempel D, Saipe B, Grainger R, Hale L (2017, November). Co-creating a self-management eHealth resource by the people and for the people with persistent pain – iSelf-help. Verbal presentation at the Health Informatics New Zealand (HiNZ) Conference, Rotorua, New Zealand. (Platform)

Devan, H., Hale, L., Hempel, D., Saipe, B., & Perry, M. (2017, March). What works and what doesn't in a self-management support intervention for individuals with persistent pain? A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Nelson, New Zealand.