Pain Buddy

Name: Pain Buddy
Author: University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine

CLINICAL GRADE

Validated in clinical trials

For:Patients & Caregivers

Free

Download on the App Store

App Summary

Pain Buddy is a gamified mobile app designed for children and teens to manage cancer-related pain by tracking symptoms and learning cognitive behavioral skills with a personalized avatar. A preliminary randomized controlled trial (N=48) found that children who received the app's skills training and remote monitoring had significantly fewer episodes of moderate to severe pain compared to those who only used the app for symptom tracking. The authors conclude that Pain Buddy is a promising tool that may aid in reducing severe pain episodes, warranting a larger trial to confirm its efficacy.

App Screenshots

Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Developed at the University of California, Irvine, Pain Buddy is an mHealth system for pediatric oncology. The application's interface utilizes an animated avatar to capture daily reports on pain, symptoms, and management strategies. The system integrates a gamified incentive structure, rewarding diary completion with virtual currency for in-app games and avatar customizations. For intervention arms of clinical studies, the platform also delivers cognitive behavioral skills training and facilitates remote symptom monitoring, which can trigger alerts to providers for clinically significant events.

Evidence & Research Context

A randomized controlled trial (N=48) evaluated the system over 60 days in children undergoing cancer treatment to assess its impact on pain.
While both intervention and control groups experienced reduced average daily pain, the intervention group reported significantly fewer instances of moderate to severe pain (p=0.007).
By the end of the study period, the intervention group, which received remote monitoring and skills training, reported no instances of moderate to severe pain.
An earlier preliminary pilot study (N=12) demonstrated high user satisfaction and confirmed the system's feasibility for capturing clinically relevant symptom data.

Intended Use & Scope

This system is designed for children and adolescents (ages 8-18) with cancer as an adjunct tool for symptom management within a clinical or research setting. Its primary utility is to facilitate longitudinal symptom tracking and deliver skills-based training. Pain Buddy does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for direct consultation with a healthcare provider or emergency services.

Studies & Publications

2 publications

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

RCT

A pilot study of the preliminary efficacy of Pain Buddy: A novel intervention for the management of children's cancer-related pain

Hunter et al. (2020) · Pediatric Blood & Cancer

Reduced instances of moderate-to-severe pain but did not reduce overall pain more than control.

Objectives Cancer-related pain in children is prevalent and undermanaged. Mobile health (mHealth) applications provide a promising avenue to address the gap in pain management in children with cancer. Pain Buddy is a multicomponent mHealth application developed to manage cancer-related pain in children. The goal of this paper is to present preliminary efficacy data of the impact of Pain Buddy on children's pain severity and frequency. Methods In a randomized controlled trial over 60 days, children (N = 48) reported daily pain on a tablet while receiving usual care. Those in the intervention group (N = 20) received remote symptom monitoring and skills training for pain management. Children in the attention control group (N = 28) only reported on their pain. Results Both groups experienced significant reductions in average daily pain over the study period (B = ?0.10, z = ?3.40, P = 0.001), with no group differences evident (z = ?0.83, P = 0.40). However, the intervention group reported significantly fewer instances of moderate to severe pain compared with the control group, t(4125) = 2.67, P = 0.007. In addition, the intervention group reported no instances of moderate to severe pain toward the end of the study period. Conclusion Pain Buddy is an innovative and interactive mHealth application that aims to improve pain and symptom management among children with cancer. The findings from this pilot study suggest that Pain Buddy may aid in the reduction of pain severity in children during cancer treatment.

Pilot/Feasibility Study

Pain buddy: A novel use of m-health in the management of children's cancer pain

Fortier et al. (2017) · Computers in Biology and Medicine

Feasibility confirmed — high satisfaction with remote pain monitoring in children with cancer.

Background Over 12,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States. In addition to symptoms associated with their disease, children undergoing chemotherapy frequently experience significant pain, which is unfortunately often undertreated. The field of m-Health offers an innovative avenue for pain assessment and intervention in the home setting. The current study describes the development and initial evaluation of a tablet-based program, Pain Buddy, aimed to enhance pain management and foster improved quality of life in children ages 8–18 years undergoing cancer treatment. Methods An animated avatar-based tablet application was developed using state-of-the-art software. Key aspects of Pain Buddy include daily pain and symptom diaries completed by children, remote monitoring of symptoms by uploading patient's data through internet to a cloud server, cognitive and behavioral skills training, interactive three-dimensional avatars that guide children through the program, and an incentive system to motivate engagement. Twelve children between the ages of 8 and 18 participated in a pilot study of Pain Buddy. Results Children were highly satisfied with the program. Pain and appetite disturbances were most frequently endorsed. Symptom trigger alerts to outside providers were largely related to clinically significant pain. Children infrequently used analgesics, and reported using some non-pharmacological pain management strategies. Conclusion Pain Buddy appears to be a promising tool to improve pain and symptom management in children undergoing cancer treatment. Results from the current study will inform future improvements to Pain Buddy, in preparation for a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of this innovative treatment.

In the Media

Study determines that Pain Buddy app may aid in reduction of pain severity

Dr. Michelle A. Fortier, a CHOC pediatric psychologist and UC Irvine faculty member, developed Pain Buddy to help reduce pain severity in children during cancer treatment, using a kid-friendly interface with cartoon avatars and colorful backgrounds. A pilot study of 48 children ages 8-18 published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer found that Pain Buddy may be especially beneficial for children with high pain levels, with Dr. Lilibeth Torno noting that "pain management is an important part of cancer survivorship, and I think Pain Buddy's potential for use is very broad." Comprehensive research tracking 206 children across multiple sites is ongoing, with results expected in three years.

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Pain Buddy app may help reduce pain severity, study shows

CHOC pediatric psychologist Michelle A. Fortier developed Pain Buddy to address gaps in pain management for children with cancer at home, using a kid-friendly app that allows real-time pain reporting to doctors. A pilot study of 48 children published in Pediatric Blood & Cancer found that Pain Buddy may aid in reducing pain severity during cancer treatment, with particular benefits for children experiencing high pain levels. "Pain management is an important part of cancer survivorship, and I think Pain Buddy's potential for use is very broad," says pediatric oncologist Dr. Lilibeth Torno.

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