In collaboration with the Institute of Health Economics (IHE), PainDrainer AB has conducted a comprehensive health economic study, exploring the impact PainDrainer AB’s “Paindrainer” App can have on the societal and financial burdens of chronic pain.
Chronic pain, a condition that lingers for more than 12 weeks despite medical treatment, affects around one in five individuals and tends to be resistant to pharmaceutical-based treatments.
The Paindrainer app is built on clinical practice for management of chronic pain – it works by calculating an individual activity balance for each user based on their daily activities and pain level, providing insights and feedback to each patient to guide them to adjust their daily routines accordingly.
Does it work?
The study employed various methodologies to estimate three critical parameters: health gains, productivity gains and healthcare cost savings.
Health gains were calculated using PROMIS® (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) data, while productivity gains were examined through the human capital approach. Healthcare cost savings were assessed based on published literature.
The study estimated a total societal gain of around US$8,700 per patient per year. Broken down, the gain consists of a monetised health benefit of US$4,550, a production increase of US$3,370 and healthcare cost savings of US$797 per patient annually.
“We are extremely pleased that the study reaffirms what we have known for some time: chronic pain is an enormous burden to society as a whole,” PainDrainer CEO Erik Frick said.
“Most certainly for the affected individuals in terms of significant lower quality of life, but also for the society in terms of huge healthcare costs and great production losses.
“We are confident that our AI-powered self-management tool PainDrainer® can fulfill this unmet need and bring about substantial improvements.”
Effect on ability and treatment modes
The study reported an increase in daily work capacity of about 28.5 to 34.1 minutes after 6-12 weeks of use, and a reduction in the use of physical therapy and medications as part of treatment.
At the beginning of the study, 17 patients were using physical therapy and 21 were using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.
By the 12-week mark, only eight were still employing physical therapy while 14 were using NSAIDs.
Overall, the cost of treatment involving medications fell by 10%, while costs associated with healthcare but excluding pharmaceuticals fell by 23%.
“The utility of patients who obtained improved pain experience and its monetised value is estimated very conservatively at US$4,550,” IHE senior advisor Professor Ulf Persson said.
“This figure is based on a valuation of a full health year at US$50,000, falling within the low range of recommendations by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in the United States.”