Application of a real-time pain monitoring system in Korean fibromyalgia patients: A pilot study

Objectives: Chronic pain is a debilitating condition which should be managed with integrated multidisciplinary approaches. To this end, accurate pain assessment should be the first step, and self-reporting pain assessment systems using smartphones or wearable devices are being introduced. The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility and efficacy of a real-time pain monitoring system using a wearable device, referred to as the Pain Assessment and Analysis System (PAAS), in patients with fibromyalgia, which is characterized by widespread chronic pain. Methods: In this pilot study, adult fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to use or to not use PAAS. Changes in the visual analog scale (VAS) were examined by rheumatologists at baseline and after 3 months, and correlations between conventional pain VAS or PAAS VAS and clinical parameters were investigated. Results: A total of 24 fibromyalgia patients were enrolled in the study, with 14 patients assigned to the PAAS group, and 11 patients assigned to the control group. All patients completed the 3 month study. The reduction of pain on the VAS in patients who used PAAS for 3 months was significantly greater than that in the control group. The mean pain VAS calculated by PAAS showed good correlation with clinical parameters, including scores of the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire. Conclusions: The proposed real-time pain monitoring system can be utilized for pain assessment in Korean fibromyalgia patients. Moreover, the system accurately reflects pain status and may help to alleviate pain.