Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract BackgroundChronic pain is widespread and carries a heavy disease burden, and there is a lack of effective outpatient pain management. As an emerging internet medical platform in China, internet hospitals have been successfully applied for the management of chronic dis...

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Main Authors: Ling Sang, Bixin Zheng, Xianzheng Zeng, Huizhen Liu, Qing Jiang, Maotong Liu, Chenyu Zhu, Maoying Wang, Zengwei Yi, Keyu Song, Li Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2024-12-01
Series:JMIR Medical Informatics
Online Access:https://medinform.jmir.org/2024/1/e54975
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author Ling Sang
Bixin Zheng
Xianzheng Zeng
Huizhen Liu
Qing Jiang
Maotong Liu
Chenyu Zhu
Maoying Wang
Zengwei Yi
Keyu Song
Li Song
author_facet Ling Sang
Bixin Zheng
Xianzheng Zeng
Huizhen Liu
Qing Jiang
Maotong Liu
Chenyu Zhu
Maoying Wang
Zengwei Yi
Keyu Song
Li Song
author_sort Ling Sang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract BackgroundChronic pain is widespread and carries a heavy disease burden, and there is a lack of effective outpatient pain management. As an emerging internet medical platform in China, internet hospitals have been successfully applied for the management of chronic diseases. There are also a certain number of patients with chronic pain that use internet hospitals for pain management. However, no studies have investigated the effectiveness of pain management via internet hospitals. ObjectiveThe aim of this retrospective cohort study was to explore the effectiveness of chronic pain management by internet hospitals and their advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional physical hospital visits. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. Demographic information such as the patient’s sex, age, and number of visits was obtained from the IT center. During the first and last patient visits, information on outcome variables such as the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), medical satisfaction, medical costs, and adverse drug events was obtained through a telephone follow-up. All patients with chronic pain who had 3 or more visits (internet or offline) between September 2021, and February 2023, were included. The patients were divided into an internet hospital group and a physical hospital group, according to whether they had web-based or in-person consultations, respectively. To control for confounding variables, propensity score matching was used to match the two groups. Matching variables included age, sex, diagnosis, and number of clinic visits. ResultsA total of 122 people in the internet hospital group and 739 people in the physical hospital group met the inclusion criteria. After propensity score matching, 77 patients in each of the two groups were included in the analysis. There was not a significant difference in the quality of life (QOL; QOL assessment was part of the BPI scale) between the internet hospital group and the physical hospital group (PPPPPPPP ConclusionsInternet hospitals are an effective way of managing chronic pain. They can improve patients’ QOL and satisfaction, reduce treatment costs, and can be used as part of a multimodal strategy for chronic pain self-management.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2291-9694
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher JMIR Publications
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series JMIR Medical Informatics
spelling doaj-art-2250914165604924a575d9ea630fdbb22025-01-06T16:59:18ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Medical Informatics2291-96942024-12-0112e54975e5497510.2196/54975Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort StudyLing Sanghttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-3768-1191Bixin Zhenghttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-2615-4425Xianzheng Zenghttp://orcid.org/0009-0002-7944-4749Huizhen Liuhttp://orcid.org/0009-0004-7214-4211Qing Jianghttp://orcid.org/0009-0008-5703-9957Maotong Liuhttp://orcid.org/0009-0005-0635-8446Chenyu Zhuhttp://orcid.org/0009-0008-4558-5029Maoying Wanghttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-9466-6601Zengwei Yihttp://orcid.org/0009-0002-6741-0736Keyu Songhttp://orcid.org/0009-0000-4462-5772Li Songhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-3973-4787 Abstract BackgroundChronic pain is widespread and carries a heavy disease burden, and there is a lack of effective outpatient pain management. As an emerging internet medical platform in China, internet hospitals have been successfully applied for the management of chronic diseases. There are also a certain number of patients with chronic pain that use internet hospitals for pain management. However, no studies have investigated the effectiveness of pain management via internet hospitals. ObjectiveThe aim of this retrospective cohort study was to explore the effectiveness of chronic pain management by internet hospitals and their advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional physical hospital visits. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. Demographic information such as the patient’s sex, age, and number of visits was obtained from the IT center. During the first and last patient visits, information on outcome variables such as the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), medical satisfaction, medical costs, and adverse drug events was obtained through a telephone follow-up. All patients with chronic pain who had 3 or more visits (internet or offline) between September 2021, and February 2023, were included. The patients were divided into an internet hospital group and a physical hospital group, according to whether they had web-based or in-person consultations, respectively. To control for confounding variables, propensity score matching was used to match the two groups. Matching variables included age, sex, diagnosis, and number of clinic visits. ResultsA total of 122 people in the internet hospital group and 739 people in the physical hospital group met the inclusion criteria. After propensity score matching, 77 patients in each of the two groups were included in the analysis. There was not a significant difference in the quality of life (QOL; QOL assessment was part of the BPI scale) between the internet hospital group and the physical hospital group (PPPPPPPP ConclusionsInternet hospitals are an effective way of managing chronic pain. They can improve patients’ QOL and satisfaction, reduce treatment costs, and can be used as part of a multimodal strategy for chronic pain self-management.https://medinform.jmir.org/2024/1/e54975
spellingShingle Ling Sang
Bixin Zheng
Xianzheng Zeng
Huizhen Liu
Qing Jiang
Maotong Liu
Chenyu Zhu
Maoying Wang
Zengwei Yi
Keyu Song
Li Song
Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study
JMIR Medical Informatics
title Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study
title_full Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study
title_fullStr Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study
title_full_unstemmed Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study
title_short Effectiveness of Outpatient Chronic Pain Management for Middle-Aged Patients by Internet Hospitals: Retrospective Cohort Study
title_sort effectiveness of outpatient chronic pain management for middle aged patients by internet hospitals retrospective cohort study
url https://medinform.jmir.org/2024/1/e54975
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