Exploring New Technologies to Manage Cancer Pain in the Community

Cancer is increasing in incidence and prevalence in the United Kingdom. Pain is the most frequent complication of cancer and cancer pain control is frequently suboptimal. Previous research has established several potentially modifiable reasons for suboptimal cancer pain management. These include: under-reporting of pain; inadequate communication about pain between patients and health care professionals ; inadequate assessment of pain by health care providers; inadequate analgesic prescribing; suboptimal adherence to prescribed analgesic regimens by patients; and failure to re-assess pain timeously.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a term used to describe all digital technologies that facilitate the electronic capture, processing, storage, and exchange of information. ICT could offer innovative solutions to suboptimal cancer pain management. Technological solutions might include electronic diaries, available as applications or "apps", which could encourage pain self-monitoring by people with cancer, and prompt medical assessment when pain is poorly controlled. Accurate patient reported pain data could help professionals to adequately assess pain and might influence the patient-professional consultation. Feedback of adherence data to patients and carers might improve the way that medications are used. Electronic medication adherence devices are currently available which can capture data on analgesic utilisation and timing. This data might be useful for health care professionals to inform safe and timely adjustments of analgesic doses (i.e. is pain control poor because of inadequate analgesic dose or because of non-adherence to the prescribed regime?). The aim of the proposed study is to explore the desirability, feasibility, and practicalities of using ICT to improve cancer pain management The proposed study would seek the views of patients with cancer pain, their caregivers, and health care professionals, about using technology to help with cancer pain management. The study will investigate the acceptability of electronic pain diaries and electronic medication adherence devices to patients and health care professionals, barriers to using such technology, and how data generated from technology might be used by patients, caregivers, and health care professionals to improve cancer pain management. This study will form part of a programme of research and data from the proposed study will be used to inform the potential development of a technological intervention to improve the management of cancer pain in the community.