Although logging pain episodes and treatments does not require internet access, to get the most out of the services provided by this heavily-loaded app, internet access with an online account with Ringful Health is recommended. The online counterpart to Pain Care supplements the app well, and not only does it backup the user’s data but it also serves as another method of accessing the user’s pain journal for further logging or editing.
“Personal Reports” present summaries of the user’s pain journal in different formats with different focuses. From letter format summaries to graphical charts of pain characteristics and treatment efficacies, users can share these reports with their healthcare providers. However, in order to access these “personal reports,” users will require to obtain an account with Ringful Health.
Dr. Vishal Kancherla, a interventional physiatrist in Austin, TX, takes credit for the clinical design of Pain Care. Thanks to having a clinician developer, users will find that the app’s approach to pain management is very appropriate and clinically oriented, with multiple areas hinting the importance of physical activity and psychosocial issues in regards to pain.
Negatives
Although Pain Care is a very comprehensive app that is packed with functionality, during my time with the app, I have noticed several issues that may potentially cause confusion. At first when logging medical treatments, users may be inclined to document their take-as-needed (PRN) medications in response to a pain episode.
However, this section is only intended to record medications and treatments that are prescribed and monitor their effects over longer periods of time. The app has completely neglected the immediate effects of pain medications and/or treatments. In other words, users would not be able to log their PRN medications, which, from my understanding, should also be an significant aspect of pain management.
Perhaps due to my own bias, certain types of “personal reports” are rather difficult to interpret due to its presentation with bar graphs and the developer’s choice of X and Y-axis parameters. These reports may be helpful for the healthcare provider, but I do not think they function well for patients themselves.
Also, extrapolating significant meaning from the graphs for treatments may be difficult since they do not take account the presence of other treatments, especially if the patient is on multiple medications that are still in the process of being adjusted.
Again under “personal reports,” the “clinical reports” basically takes every field that the user has ever logged and puts that data into a progress note-format letter. Because of the automated process, the descriptions will often repeat itself. With this glitch, I can foresee a very long letter that may become overly repetitive after longer use of this app.
While logging pain episodes, certain aspects of pain have been left out or are not clearly delineated. When I was in medical school, we were taught specific questions to inquire about pain: onset, location, severity, radiation, duration, character, timing, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated symptoms. Of course, there is much more to characterizing pain than just these questions, but the app has left out important ones such as “radiation” and “onset” and has “timing” mixed in with “character” descriptors.
Finally, if the user chooses to input episodes or treatments online via the website, these logs will not appear on the app’s locally stored “Journal,” which may potentially cause more confusion.
Price
- Free
Likes
- Clinically oriented pain journal, developed by interventional physiatrist, Dr. Kancherla
- Easy to use and effortless electronic journal logging
- Supplemental online account and services
- Can customize symptoms and treatments
Dislikes
- Personal Reports not as well designed and may be difficult to interpreted
- Online journal logs not shown on app
- Not encouraged to log PRN treatments
Conclusion
- Pain Care has proven to be an easy-to-use electronic pain journal, but remains comprehensive, professional, and clinically oriented. Pain Care is definitely a helpful tool for patients and their physicians to monitor and characterize chronic pain symptoms and also the efficacy of prescribed treatments. The uniqueness and strengths of this app relies heavily on its online account integration.
- Although Pain Care is a functionally packed app, there are several downsides to the app’s design and online integration that might cause confusion and hinder the usability of the app.
- Overall, however, the app certainly has potential to play a crucial role in the management of chronic pain symptoms in the clinical setting and facilitate personalized and cost-effective approaches to pain care.
Review Version: 1.4
Review Device: Samsung Galaxy S III
Developer: Ringful Health
