Chronic pain is a costly syndrome that influences every aspect of a person's functioning. It accounts for 21 percent of emergency room visits and 25 percent of annual missed work days and, when considering direct and indirect costs, imposes a greater economic burden than any other disease, with estimates of annual costs adding up to $100 billion. Pain is the primary symptom that prompts individuals to seek medical attention, but despite its prevalence, it remains a stubborn condition to treat and a difficult concept to capture by objective measurement techniques. The objective of this application is to finalize and evaluate a customizable electronic pain software program for physicians and their patients to monitor key aspects of chronic pain including pain intensity, mood, activity level, and medication use. Significant innovative features of this proposed research are: 1) the development of associated graphs to chart pain intensity and other factors; 2) a comprehensive Pain Body Map to chart pain location over time; and 3) In-clinic wireless transmission of data for real-time access. Charts reflecting results of the data entered will be accessible via an associated website. The site will also include information on pain management. The overall aim of this Phase II SBIR is to finalize and rigorously test a chronic pain software program and develop an associated website for doctors and patients to view charted pain data and patient education information. To achieve our overall objective, we propose the following: 1) to complete complex programming and rigorously beta test the electronic diary; 2) to complete development of a website where participants and physicians can review diary data and download information on chronic pain management; and 3) to evaluate the final software in a clinic setting. The focus of the evaluation will be to determine whether this software improves patient satisfaction with treatment and assists physicians and patients to manage chronic pain more effectively over time.
