Efficacy of a System for Tracking and Managing Osteoarthritis Pain for Both Healthcare Providers and Older Adults

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain, affecting approximately one-third of older adults in the United States and imposing a financial burden on the healthcare system. Pain management for osteoarthritis is complex; there is a need for a technology to support people with osteoarthritis to capture, integrate, and display information on pain and mediating factors critical for pain management. We developed a system that can support self-management of osteoarthritis pain, including identification of factors influencing pain. The efficacy of this system was tested with seven older adults— who reported experiencing osteoarthritis pain for at least three years—and three healthcare providers—who reported experience assisting older adults in managing osteoarthritis pain within the past year. For both groups, our system improved their ability to answer comprehension questions about osteoarthritis pain. Overall, this system for tracking and managing pain supported users’ understanding of osteoarthritis pain and its mediators, which could ultimately lead to improved management of osteoarthritis pain.