Project period
2017–2024
Fundings
The Research Council of Norway: Project #256574
Project summary
Chronic pain seriously affects public health. In Norway, as much as 30% of the adult population experiences moderate to severe chronic pain, and chronic pain is the most common reason for sick leave and disability pension. National authorities, health care personnel, and patients alike are calling for new and efficient ways to improve health care for this large population, a call this study aims to answer.
A growing body of research supports the efficacy of eHealth interventions in contributing to successful self-management of chronic illness. However, more research is needed to establish evidence and effectiveness of eHealth interventions for people with chronic pain. There is also a knowledge gap related to user perspectives in designing eHealth interventions, and factors facilitating intervention implementation.
Closing this gap is vital, and the project aimed to do so through developing, testing, and evaluating a person-centered interactive eHealth intervention to support self-management for people with chronic pain. The project goal was reached through;
- Designing and pilot-testing an e-health intervention for people with chronic pain.
- Employing a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the intervention in comparison with a control group.
- Evaluating for sustained use of the intervention through qualitative examinations, cost-benefit analyses, and implementation explorations.
The eHealth intervention EPIO (from the Greek goddess for the soothing of pain) was developed based on existing evidence, utilizing a person-centered approach and undergoing an iterative process, with close collaborations between researchers, system developers, health care providers, and patient representatives. In 2019, EPIO was tested in a pilot study showing good results regarding ease of use and perceived usefulness. A randomized controlled trial was also conducted to test the effects of the EPIO intervention. Results showed that people with chronic pain who received the EPIO intervention had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, better self-regulation, and better quality of life than those who did not receive the intervention.
The research team has been well prepared for this project, and the interdisciplinary alliance of experts from leading national and international research centers, in close collaboration with healthcare personnel and user representatives, has facilitated high scientific quality from development to testing and preparations for implementations.
