Deploying PainPad for Patient Pain Logging in the Hospital: A Six-year Deployment

Monitoring patients’ pain is essential in clinical contexts, particularly post-surgery. However, collecting pain data is time consuming and relies on manual data capture by clinical staff. Few studies assess the efficacy of pain logging technology in a long-term, ecologically valid manner. We report on a 6-year deployment of a minimalist pain-logging device, the PainPad, in post-surgery orthopaedic wards in a large UK hospital. Our data shows that patients (n > 500) tend to submit more pain scores that are at a higher rating compared to nurse collected data. Interviews with the nursing staff using the device highlight the importance of understanding the complexities of the context of use when trying to integrate novel technology into clinical practice. Finally, we contribute reflections on the lessons learnt from running a significant long-term deployment of a prototype health technology in a naturalistic setting.