scholarly journals Reducing pain in children with cancer at home: a feasibility study of the KLIK pain monitor app

Author(s):  
Julia D. H. P. Simon ◽  
Sasja A. Schepers ◽  
Martha A. Grootenhuis ◽  
Maarten Mensink ◽  
Angelique D. Huitema ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose This study assessed adherence to, feasibility of, and barriers and facilitators of implementation of an app developed to monitor and follow-up with pain in children with cancer at home. Methods Children (8–18 years) receiving cancer treatment (all diagnoses) or their parents (of children aged 0–7 years) used the KLIK Pain Monitor app for 3 weeks. Pain was assessed twice daily using an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS-11) (ranging from 0 to 10). Healthcare professionals (HCP’s) from the hospital’s Pediatric Pain Service were instructed to follow-up with clinically significant pain scores (≥ 4) within 120 min (scores 4–6) or 30 min (scores 7–10). Adherence, feasibility, and implementation outcomes were assessed using questionnaires, app log data, and interviews. Results Twenty-seven children (M age = 7.3 years, 51.8% male) and six HCP’s participated. Sixty-three percent (N = 17) of families used the app on a daily basis during three weeks, and 18.5% (N = 5) reported pain scores twice daily during that time (family adherence). Twelve out of 27 children (44.4%) reported a clinically significant pain score at least once. In 70% (14/20) of clinically significant pain scores, HCP’s followed-up with families within the set timeframe (HCP adherence). Outcomes reveal feasibility for the majority of app functions (i.e., positive evaluation by ≥ 70% families/HCP’s), and non-feasible aspects could be resolved. Identified barriers and facilitators were used to improve future implementation efforts. Conclusion Use of the KLIK Pain Monitor app seems feasible. Future research will determine its effectiveness in reducing pain in children with cancer at home.

RMD Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e001372
Author(s):  
Sella Aarrestad Provan ◽  
Brigitte Michelsen ◽  
Joseph Sexton ◽  
Tillmann Uhlig ◽  
Hilde Berner Hammer

ObjectivesTo define fatigue trajectories in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who initiate biological DMARD (bDMARD) treatment, and explore baseline predictors for a trajectory of continued fatigue.MethodsOne-hundred and eighty-four patients with RA initiating bDMARDs were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months. Swollen and tender joint counts, patient reported outcomes (PROMs), blood samples and ultrasound examinations were collected at each time point. Fatigue was assessed by the fatigue Numeric Rating Scale (0–10) from the Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease (RAID) questionnaire. Clinically significant fatigue was predefined as fatigue ≥4. Three trajectories of interest were defined according to level of RAID fatigue: no fatigue (≤3 at 5/6 visits), improved fatigue (≥4 at start, but ≤3 at follow-up) and continued fatigue (≥4 at 5/6 visits). Baseline variables were compared between groups by bivariate analyses, and logistic regression models were used to explore baseline predictors of continued vs improved fatigue.ResultsThe majority of patients starting bDMARD therapy followed one of three fatigue trajectories, (no fatigue; n=61, improved; n=33 and continued fatigue; n=53). Patients with continued fatigue were more likely to be anti–citrullinated protein antibody and/or rheumatoid factor positive and had higher baseline PROMs compared to the other groups, while there were no differences between the groups for variables of inflammation including. Patient global, tender joint count and anxiety were predictors for the continued fatigue trajectory.DiscussionA trajectory of continued fatigue was determined by PROMs and not by inflammatory RA disease activity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Thillemann ◽  
T. M. Thillemann ◽  
B. Munk ◽  
K. Krøner

We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of 42 Motec thumb carpometacarpal total joint arthroplasties. The primary endpoint was revision with implant removal and trapeziectomy. At follow-up the disability of the arm shoulder and hand (DASH) score, pain on numerical rating scale at rest and with activity and serum chrome and cobalt concentrations were assessed for both unrevised and revised patients. At a mean follow-up of 26 months, 17 patients had been revised. The 2 year cumulative revision rate was 42% (95% CI, 28–60%). The DASH score and pain scores at rest and with activity were comparable between the patients whose thumbs remained unrevised and those revised. Patients with elevated serum chrome and cobalt levels had significantly higher DASH and pain scores, but elevated levels were not associated with revision. The revision rate in this study is unacceptably high. However, pain and DASH scores after revision are acceptable and comparable with patients with non-revised implants. Level of evidence: IV


CJEM ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (06) ◽  
pp. 485-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. Mills ◽  
Anthony J. Dean ◽  
Judd E. Hollander ◽  
Esther H. Chen

ABSTRACT Objective: We aimed to use the consensus opinion of a group of expert emergency physicians to derive a set of emergency diagnoses for acute abdominal pain that might be used as clinically significant outcomes for future research. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of emergency physicians with expertise in abdominal pain. These experts were authors of textbook chapters, peer-reviewed original research with a focus on abdominal pain or widely published clinical guidelines. Respondents were asked to categorize 50 possible diagnoses of acute abdominal pain into 1 of 3 categories: 1) unacceptable not to diagnose on the first emergency department (ED) visit; 2) although optimal to diagnose on first visit, failure to diagnose would not be expected to have serious adverse consequences provided the patient had follow-up within the next 2–7 days; 3) if not diagnosed during the first visit, unlikely to cause long-term risk to the patient provided the patient had follow-up within the next 1–2 months. Standard descriptive statistical analysis was used to summarize survey data. Results: Thirty emergency physicians completed the survey. Of 50 total diagnoses, 16 were categorized as “unacceptable not to diagnose in the ED” with greater than 85% agreement, and 12 were categorized as “acceptable not to diagnose in the ED” with greater than 85% agreement. Conclusion: Our study identifies a set of abdominal pain conditions considered by expert emergency physicians to be clinically important to diagnose during the initial ED visit. These diseases may be used as “clinically significant” outcomes for future research on abdominal pain.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir Selbæk ◽  
Knut Engedal ◽  
Jūratė Šaltytė Benth ◽  
Sverre Bergh

ABSTRACTBackground:Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are prevalent in nursing-home (NH) patients with dementia, but little is known about the long-term course of these symptoms.Methods:In this study, 931 NH patients with dementia took part in a prospective cohort study with four assessments over a 53-month follow-up period. NPS and level of dementia were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory scale and the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, respectively.Results:Mild, moderate, and severe dementia was present in 25%, 33%, and 42%, respectively. There was an increase in the severity of the dementia from the first to the fourth assessment. Agitation, irritability, disinhibition, and apathy were the most prevalent and persistent symptoms during the study period. The affective subsyndrome (depression and anxiety) became less severe, whereas the agitation subsyndrome (agitation/aggression, disinhibition, and irritability) and apathy increased in severity during the follow-up period. More severe dementia was associated with more severe agitation, psychosis, and apathy, but not more severe affective symptoms. Mild dementia was associated with an increase in the severity of psychosis, whereas moderate or severe dementia was associated with decreasing severity of psychosis over the follow-up period.Conclusion:Nearly all the patients experienced clinically significant NPS, but individual symptoms fluctuated. Affective symptoms became less severe, while agitation and apathy increased in severity. An increase in dementia severity was associated with an increase in the severity of agitation, psychosis, and apathy, but not affective symptoms. The results may have implications when planning evaluation, treatment, and the prevention of NPS in NH patients.


1987 ◽  
Vol 150 (6) ◽  
pp. 808-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Little ◽  
D. Hemsley ◽  
K. Bergmann ◽  
J. Volans ◽  
R. Levy

We followed up 181 elderly living at home over 2 years. The changes shown on a brief dementia rating scale (the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS)) were monitored. At follow-up, subjects were classified as organic or non-organic by three potential screening tools-a screening questionnaire (the Psychogeriatric Assessment Schedule), a psychometric test (the Inglis' Paired Associate Learning Test) and a dementia scale (the AMTS). The value of these as screening tools for community samples was considered as a function of their sensitivity to cognitive decline. The classifications made by each were significantly related to previous cognitive change, but all were conservative, missing many subjects who had declined. Of the three, the AMTS appeared the most useful as a predictor of previous change on the AMTS. It remains to be seen whether it is equally useful with different samples and with different measures of outcome.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011420S0011
Author(s):  
Judith F. Baumhauer ◽  
Mark A. Glazebrook ◽  
Alastair S. Younger ◽  
David Fitch ◽  
Jovelyn Quiton ◽  
...  

Category: Ankle; Hindfoot; Other Introduction/Purpose: Autologous bone has traditionally been the gold standard for grafting material during foot or ankle arthrodesis. While autograft use has been effective, its harvest does present certain distinctive risks to the patient including persistent harvest site pain. Previous studies have examined harvest site pain, but most have focused on the iliac crest and none provide longer term follow-up. The purpose of this study was to examine long-term (7-10 year) donor site pain from four lower extremity harvest site locations in subjects undergoing autograft harvest for hindfoot or ankle arthrodesis. Methods: All subjects in the control arm of a previously conducted Level 1 clinical trial comparing autologous bone with a synthetic bone graft substitute for hindfoot or ankle arthrodesis were invited back for a single visit at a minimum of 5 years following their initial surgery. Autograft was harvested from either the proximal tibia (51.7%), iliac crest (17.2%), calcaneus (15.5%), distal tibia (6.8%), or other location (8.6%). Harvest site pain, fusion site pain, and weight-bearing pain were evaluated using a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS), with clinically significant pain considered as any score greater than 20 (Todd et al., 1996). Results: Of the 130 subjects receiving autograft in the original trial, 58 returned for assessment at a mean follow-up of 9.0 years (Table 1). The mean harvest site VAS at final follow-up was 4.4 (range, 0.0-97.0) with 37.9% of subjects reporting some level of pain. The percentage of subjects who reported clinically significant pain was 35.7%, 21.4%, 18.2%, 10.5%, 8.9%, and 5.2% at 2, 6, 12, 24, 52 weeks, and final follow-up, respectively. Of those subjects reporting clinically significant pain at final follow-up, two had undergone harvest from the proximal tibial and one from the iliac crest. A significant correlation was found between harvest site pain and both weight-bearing and fusion site pain, but not between harvest site pain and the volume of graft harvested. Conclusion: This study is the first to examine persistence of long-term harvest site pain following autologous bone graft harvest during hindfoot or ankle arthrodesis. Over one-third of patients still reported persistent pain at an average follow-up of 9 years, with 5% experiencing clinically significant pain. The proximal tibia harvest site had the greatest incidence of reported pain. These data suggest that harvesting autologous bone does carry inherent risk of persistent, long-term pain. This factor should be considered when informing patients of procedural risks and when choosing between autograft or graft substitute during arthrodesis surgery. [Table: see text]


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Marker ◽  
Peter J. Norton

Recent meta-analytic findings have revealed that the addition of motivational interviewing (MI) to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders improves treatment outcome. However, for the most part, previous research has limited MI as a prelude to CBT. This article explored the benefits and complications of a more integrated approach by adapting and examining an already established transdiagnostic CBT protocol to include intermittent MI strategies. The presented protocol is described and illustrated using a case study of a woman meeting criteria for four anxiety disorder diagnoses. This study presents session-by-session treatment accounts, as well as pre, post, and follow-up data. Results indicated clinically significant improvement, supporting the utility of intermittent MI strategies within CBT. Implementation recommendations and future research directions are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1624-1635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell Selhorst ◽  
William Rice ◽  
Michael Jackowski ◽  
Todd Degenhart ◽  
Shaun Coffman

Objective: To compare a sequential treatment algorithm considering psychosocial and physical impairments, with a conventional rehabilitation approach considering only physical impairments in adolescents with patellofemoral pain. Design: A randomized, single-blind, controlled study. Participants: Fifty-five adolescents (36 females; mean age 14.3 ± 1.8 years). Interventions: The sequential cognitive and physical approach (SCOPA) group ( n = 28) was treated based on sequential testing and treatment of activity-related fear, flexibility, kinematics, and strength. The comparator group ( n = 27) was treated with a non-sequential physical impairment–based approach. Both groups received treatment two times a week for up to six weeks. Measurements: Function (Anterior Knee Pain Scale), pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), and Global Rating of Change were assessed at baseline, three weeks, and six weeks, with a six-month follow-up. Results: Both groups had similar function (73.7 ± 9.6) and pain (6.0 ± 2.3) at baseline. A third of individuals with patellofemoral pain demonstrated elevated activity-related fear at baseline. Patients randomized to the SCOPA group had clinically significant greater improvements at six weeks in function (SCOPA, 95.0 ± 7.4 and comparator, 84.8 ± 10.4; mean difference: 10.2, 95% CI: 5.3, 15.1) and pain (SCOPA, 0.9 ± 1.9 and comparator, 2.7 ± 2.1; mean difference: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 2.9). No differences were noted in Global Rating of Change. No between-group differences were noted in any outcome at six-month follow-up. Conclusion: The sequential cognitive and physical approach resulted in greater improvements in short-term function and pain. By six months, both groups demonstrated similar clinically significant improvements in all outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjsrh-2021-201263
Author(s):  
John Joseph Reynolds-Wright ◽  
Anne Johnstone ◽  
Karen McCabe ◽  
Emily Evans ◽  
Sharon Cameron

BackgroundThe Scottish government introduced legislation during the COVID-19 outbreak to permit medical abortion at home with telemedicine. All women received an initial telephone consultation. For those choosing medical abortion, we provided self-administered medications to eligible women with pregnancies under 12 weeks’ gestation.AimsTo assess adherence to the recommended abortion drug regimen, with particular focus on the number of misoprostol doses used and the interval between mifepristone and misoprostol administration and the induction–expulsion interval. Additionally, to evaluate use of analgesia, antiemetics and antibiotics, and the side effects, pain and bleeding profile of medical abortion at home.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of 663 women choosing medical abortion at home via telemedicine at an NHS abortion service in Edinburgh, Scotland between 1 April and 9 July 2020. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were completed at telephone follow-up 4 and 14 days following treatment. Outcome measures were self-reported and included use of mifepristone and misoprostol, induction–expulsion interval (time from misoprostol administration until expulsion of pregnancy), antiemetics, antibiotics, analgesia use, pain scores, rates of side effects, bleeding and preparedness for treatment.ResultsAmong the respondents, 652/663 women (98%) answered at least one questionnaire, and 594/663 (89.6%) used both abortion medications as directed (24–72 hours between medications). The mean (SD) induction–expulsion interval was 4.3 (4.3) hours. Antiemetics were used by 611/663 (92%), 383/599 (64%) completed the course of prophylactic antibiotics, and 616/663 (93%) used analgesia, with mean (SD) worst-pain scores of 6.7 (2.2) out of 10. Regarding side effects, 510/663 (77%) experienced either nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or headache, 101/663 (15%) experienced headache and 510/663 (77%) experienced bleeding that was heavier than a period; 554/663, (84%) felt prepared for their treatment by teleconsultation.ConclusionPatients are able to correctly self-administer abortion medications following a telemedicine consultation. Further research is required to optimise pain management and gastrointestinal side effects during medical abortion.


Author(s):  
Jonathan Nicozisis ◽  
Gary Brigham ◽  
John Sparaga ◽  
Thomas Shipley

Evaluation of the effects of a high-frequency acceleration (HFA) device on patient pain response to orthodontic forces. A multi-centered trial investigating pain sensitivity to orthodontic forces on 75 subjects at 4 study centers. Subjects underwent clear aligner treatment, with or without adjunctive HFA and documented their pain intensity using the validated NRS10 numeric rating scale. In-Office and At-Home ratings were measured separately for each subject for immediate and extended effect evaluations. Use of HFA devices in conjunction with clear aligner orthodontic treatment demonstrated significant reduction in subjects’ recorded pain ratings vs controls within 5 minutes of aligner exchange, (p = 0.006) and significant reduction in recorded pain ratings vs controls over a 7-day period following aligner exchange (p = 0.018). A 99.6% daily compliance rate with at home use of the HFA device was recorded for all subjects in the study. HFA significantly reduces pain attributed to orthodontic force. HFA delivers clinically significant immediate pain relief, and clinically significant extended pain relief over the 7 days following adjustment.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document