A need for digital health solutions for people with chronic pain

Chronic pain can be different for each individual, but what they have in common is that it often effects their quality of life and their capasity to work. A lot of people with chronic pain have to live with these struggles for many years, and some for the rest of their lives, because the available treatment does not always have any effect. The Department of Digital Health Research at Oslo University Hospital has developed the digital health tool Epio, to help people who struggle when it comes to managing their pain. Epio aims to help with smart strategies to self-manage pain, and in this way contribute to improve the quality of life for people who experience chronic pain.

There is definetely a need for a pain-management application like Epio for those who struggle with chronic pain. Because even though there are several treatment options available for people with chronic pain today, these options are not available for everyone. There can be different reasons for this. For instance, some treatments have long waiting lists or are located too far away. And not everyone have the capacity to take part in the treatment options that are currently available.

The Department of Digital Health Research feels that there is room for improvement when it comes to the treatment options for those with chronic pain. The department has its focus on developing applications that give a new contribution within treatment and self-management. And dHealth is working on bringing the applications out to those who need them. Epio is the first application to launch.

Digital health solutions like Epio can be used according to the individuals need. Epio can be a tool used on its own, or a supplement to other forms of treatment. Studies are showing that Epio gives people a possibility to try to lighten their pain. Epio works as a support in everyday-life, and gives people with chronic pain the care and guiding they may not get from the public health services.