Cost savings and quality-of-life gains associated with the use of an AI-powered digital tool for self-management of chronic pain based on a multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a highly prevalent disease, leading to high health care costs, impaired productivity, and decreased quality of life. An artificial intelligence (AI) -powered, digital tool for self-management (PaindrainerTM) has been shown to be an effective treatment in chronic pain and may have potential to reduce the burden on costs and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to estimate the cost savings and quality-of-life gains associated with the use of an AI-powered, digital tool for self-management of chronic pain. The study is a subsequent health economic analysis of previously published data. METHOD: Resource use and quality-of-life data were derived from a one-arm, multicenter study in the US. Differences between baseline and follow-up (6 and 12 weeks) were translated to an annual monetary estimate, using published literature, national statistics and accepted threshold values for a quality-adjusted life year (QALY). RESULT: At 12 weeks, the use of an AI-powered digital tool was associated with a reduction in health care costs by 127 per user and an increase in annual productivity by 930 per user. In addition, the intervention was associated with an increase in health of 0. 0275 QALYs, corresponding to a monetized value of 1, 375. CONCLUSION: The analysis of cost savings and quality-of-life gains associated with the use of an AI-powered digital tool for pain self-management demonstrates significant potential improvements in measured parameters of in total up to 2, 432 per person (7, 380 per year assuming 70% compliance), supporting this as an important treatment alternative.