Digital Health App Upgrade Improves Tracking of Pain Relief for Individuals with Chronic Pain
A digital health application upgrade (NeuroSphere myPath, Abbott Laboratories Chicago, IL) with enhanced functionality was developed to assist clinicians better track their patients for chronic pain. The digital health app provides a shared view of patient-reported outcome measures through each stage of the treatment process for the health care team and patients when trying a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) or dorsal root ganglion (DRG) therapy device.
The digital health application upgrade is designed to allow an individual to track and report their pain relief and well-being. The upgraded app provides an understanding of the individual’s chronic pain and how they respond to therapy to better inform their treatment plan.
"With NeuroSphere myPath, I am able to connect with my patients virtually because I can home in on the precise location where they are experiencing pain and understand whether they are receiving relief," said Pankaj Mehta, MD, clinical president and chief medical officer at Pain Specialists of America in Austin, Texas. "Because the app is designed to provide a virtual environment in which I can connect with every patient and see where they are in the process, I can track how each person is doing, share critical data insights with my colleagues and help them take the next step in their pain-relief journey."
The application upgrade allows people to closely track and document their pain through a series of surveys taken virtually at baseline and during the trial period through the app. A questionnaire is made to assess pain intensity, relief, changes to physical function, and overall mood and well-being felt with and without the device throughout the treatment.
"Our continued advancement of the NeuroSphere myPath app is part of Abbott's commitment to developing new connected health technology that has the potential to bridge the gap between people and their doctors," said Pedro Malha, vice president, Neuromodulation, Abbott. "Both the myPath digital app and our NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic allow us to deliver a more personalized and proactive approach to how advanced diseases are managed that are changing how people access healthcare around the world."
The remote neuromodulation connects with an individual’s doctor via a secure in-app video chat and an integrated remote programming feature. The remote neuromodulation also enables clinicians to prescribe new treatment settings remotely.