MYRELIEF PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE APP FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN

C. Bertone, G. Pari, P. Silvegni | Pain Medicine and Therapy Unit, Santa Maria Maddalena Health Clinic, Occhiobello (RO)

BACKGROUND
The management of chronic pain requires a multidimensional and continuous approach, involving the patient in daily life. The app aims to be an interactive tool to evaluate therapeutic adherence and remote monitoring of how pain and its resulting limitations are managed by the patient. The project for the creation of MyRelief is under development.
OBJECTIVE OF THE APP
To provide an integrated digital tool to: • Support the patient in the daily management of chronic pain • Strengthen the therapeutic alliance with the pain management team • Personalize multidisciplinary interventions • Improve the quality of life and therapeutic adherence
MATERIALS AND METHODS (PROJECT)
The app includes various integrated functionalities: - Pain monitoring through validated scales (VAS, NRS, etc.) - Reminder: possibility to set notifications to remember dosages and times of drug therapy and indications for pre and post-admission in case of interventional procedures. - Update of the therapeutic diary: the doctor can update it remotely based on the feedback received from the patient and notify the changes. • - Daily personalized suggestions on physical activity, nutrition, and relaxation techniques. Every morning, a notification suggests stretching and physiotherapy exercises (customizable by a physiotherapist) and nutritional suggestions based on the type of pain (inflammatory, visceral, neuropathic, etc) - Educational modules and digital coaching - Integrated CBT and mindfulness techniques (with guided exercises) - Interactive modules for managing emotions and catastrophic thoughts Interface for the Clinician and Data Collection: • Dashboard for the specialist: pain trends, trends, clinical alerts • Possibility of sending feedback or modifications of the therapeutic plan • Export of clinical data for follow-up or research (PDF or CSV format) • Integration with electronic health records The application is already under development, conducted in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team (pain doctors, physiotherapists, nutritionists, psychologists, IT developers). Images of the prototype are attached. The pilot phase of the project will be tested on a selected group of patients, and if the expected results (compliance, satisfaction and quality of life) show improvement, the use of the app will be implemented in the Department of Medicine and Pain Therapy.
EXPECTED RESULTS
An improvement in pain self-management, treatment adherence, quality of life, and doctor-patient communication is expected. The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of an integrated digital approach to chronic pain management.