Recent Advances in Non-Invasive Digital Nursing Technologies for Chronic Pain Assessment and Management: An Integrative Review.
James Lee, Rebecca Mowat, Julie Blamires and 1 others
PMID 39791599WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses used phone calls and web-based programs to deliver pain education, cognitive behavioural therapy and self-management to adults with chronic pain.
Some programs improved pain, disability or adherence, but additional nurse support did not help in every trial.
Key findings
01Nurses delivered chronic pain interventions mainly through telehealth and web-based programs, including cognitive behavioural therapy and self-management education.
02Trained nurses delivering telehealth cognitive behavioural therapy achieved outcomes similar to those of doctoral-level mental health professionals.
03Nurse phone surveillance reduced neck pain and disability compared with control, while nurse support added to web-based cognitive behavioural therapy did not improve pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only nine randomised controlled trials were included, and they covered different pain conditions, technologies and outcomes, so the results cannot be combined into one clear effect. The review included adults only, so it says nothing about children or adolescents with chronic pain. The search covered studies published between January 2018 and November 2024 and may have missed relevant work. The authors appraised only quantitative randomised controlled trials, so they did not explore patients' and practitioners' experiences of digital care. Several positive findings came from bundled interventions, such as web-based programs plus nurse or nurse-physician support, so the separate contribution of nursing cannot be separated from the digital program or other staff. One web-based cognitive behavioural therapy trial had a small sample size, and patients knew their group assignment, which can affect pain self-reports.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that digital nursing technologies reliably reduce chronic pain. The review included nine heterogeneous randomised controlled trials, and nurse support added to web-based cognitive behavioural therapy did not improve pain intensity or pain interference compared with the web program alone.