Pain management is a crucial aspect of patient care in hospitals. Poorly managed pain can lead to patient distress and impact the patient’s quality of life, subsequently increasing the length of the patient’s stay and impacting hospital costs and resources.
To identify and implement an effective pain management plan, the assessment of pain is the first step. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) is the established standard to report a measure of pain; however, for patients who are unable to communicate verbally, traditional pain scales such as NRS can be challenging and prevent the patient from accessing effective pain management and relief.
In hospital settings, medical professionals may be unable to dedicate the time and personalized attention required to understand the needs of non-verbal patients.
PainChek®’s AI-powered pain assessment tool alleviates those challenges by enabling fast, accurate pain assessment in patients unable to communicate their pain, those who can, and those who fluctuate between the two.
Here, we explore the key benefits of PainChek® in hospitals further.
Accurate pain assessment
Pain assessment is a crucial precursor to effective pain management. It can be challenging for healthcare professionals to accurately determine the type, location, and measure of pain in non-verbal patients, such as those living with dementia or other cognitive impairments, or pre-verbal children.
PainChek®’s facial recognition software analyses a patient’s facial expressions to determine their level of pain. This technology makes accurate pain assessment possible even in situations where the patient is unable to reliably verbalise their experience of pain.
The app provides a reliable, objective method of assessing pain, empowering clinicians in their decision-making and pain management delivery, without having to rely on verbal communication or traditional observational pain assessment tools.
Improved cost efficiency
When pain is not properly managed, it can lead to further complications such as increased length of hospital stays, greater demand for hospital resources, and a higher risk of patient readmission. These complications can be costly – but they’re also avoidable.
By using PainChek® to quickly and accurately conduct a measure of pain, clinicians can more effectively manage pain and reduce the risk of these complications, lessening the strain on hospital resources and lowering associated costs.
Appropriate medication administration
PainChek® can reduce the improper or overuse of medications for pain management by improving pain assessment practices in hospitals. With accurate pain intensity assessment, healthcare professionals have the data available to inform the appropriate prescription of medication.
A recent independent evaluation by KPMG found the use of PainChek® can lead to:
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- A reduction in the severity of pain over time as a result of improved pain management practices
- Support for clinicians in reviewing patient medications
- A relationship between PainChek® assessments and reduced inappropriate prescription of psychotropic medications
Streamlined administration
In hospital settings, clinicians often spend a significant amount of time documenting patient information, completing paperwork, and communicating with other healthcare professionals.
The ability to record observations and assessments at the point of care through PainChek® results in higher clinical data accuracy and less time spent manually logging information. The app also provides a consistent reporting methodology, as the bedside manner of different clinicians may lead to varying verbal assessments.
PainChek® generates valuable data on pain assessment outcomes and activity at individual, facility, and group levels. Using PainChek® Analytics, data is presented through tailored dashboards to empower clinicians in their decision-making.
PainChek’s recent partnership with InterSystems now facilitates the app’s integration with electronic medical record (EMR) systems, meaning pain observations and assessments will be universally accessible to healthcare providers. This innovative collaboration provides doctors and nurses with the following capabilities:
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- Early warning alerts for physicians and nurses of a deteriorating patient, or patient requiring treatment plan review
- Better post-surgical and general pain management can help reduce the risk of a delirium
- Accurate and rapid pain assessment can reduce the day stay and optimise treatments
Ease of use
PainChek® is also intuitive and designed to be accessible for all users in assessing pain. The app can be installed on a tablet or smartphone, making it easy for healthcare professionals to access and use the tool in various inpatient and outpatient settings. It also has a user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and use without the need for specialised training.
PainChek: A vital tool for hospitals
Observational pain assessment tools and other traditional methods of assessing pain can hinder patient outcomes and put a strain on hospital resources and clinicians. By enabling objective, reliable pain assessment, PainChek® underpins continuous improvement in hospital patient care, safety, efficiency, and documentation, while also helping to reduce costs.
