JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobile apps present opportunities to empower employees with musculoskeletal pain and reduce long-term absenteeism. However, adoption remains limited due to lack of empirical evidence and challenges in user-friendly design.

Objective:

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of an app-based pain management intervention tailored for employees. Specifically, the study aimed to 1) assess the effect of the intervention on pain perceptions, pain intensity, and physical activity, and 2) identify factors influencing its effectiveness.

Methods:

Sixty-six employees from a Belgian university hospital, experiencing musculoskeletal pain for at least six weeks, participated in a 24-week intervention. The app-based intervention targeted unhelpful perceptions about pain and taught pain management skills through biopsychosocial education, graded activity, and personal goal-setting. Every six weeks, participants completed a questionnaire measuring pain perceptions (pain catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs). Pain intensity was recorded daily using a visual analogue scale and step count was tracked daily with an activity tracker. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants to explore their experiences with the intervention and its perceived impact.

Results:

At the 24-week follow-up, a significant improvement was observed in pain catastrophizing (t = -3.60, p < 0.001, d = 0.56). However, results for fear-avoidance beliefs (variance (time) = 1.34, p = 0.036) and pain intensity (variance (time) = 17.29, p = 0.032) were mixed, and no significant changes were observed in mean daily step count. Qualitative analysis revealed that the effectiveness of the intervention was hindered by content and design choices that did not adequately account for diverse work settings and the busy life of employees. Cognitive biases and non-supportive work environments further complicated the successful implementation of the intervention in the workplace.

Conclusions:

The app-based pain management intervention showed promise in reducing the threat value of pain and encouraging employees to adopt new coping strategies. To optimize treatment outcomes, future interventions should incorporate a high degree of personalization and strategies to address cognitive biases. Additionally, fostering a supportive work environment is crucial. Future studies should engage workplace stakeholders during the development and implementation of app-based pain management interventions and explore combining mobile apps with real-life support from trusted healthcare providers.