Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28554888›Full record

ArticleBMJ supportive & palliative care2018

What are the current challenges of managing cancer pain and could digital technologies help?

Rosalind Adam, Marijn de Bruin, Christopher David Burton, Christine M Bond, Maria Giatsi Clausen, Peter Murchie

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Article in BMJ supportive & palliative care, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Rosalind AdamAcademic Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Marijn de BruinAberdeen Health Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Christopher David BurtonAcademic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, Sheffiled, UK.
Christine M BondAcademic Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Maria Giatsi ClausenSchool of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
Peter MurchieAcademic Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.

Funding

Chief Scientist Office CAF/14/02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPain remains a problem for people with cancer despite effective treatments being available. We aimed to explore current pain management strategies used by patients, caregivers and professionals and to investigate opportunities for digital technologies to enhance cancer pain management.

methodsA qualitative study comprising semistructured interviews and focus groups. Patients with cancer pain, their caregivers and health professionals from Northeast Scotland were recruited from a purposive sample of general practices. Professionals were recruited from regional networks.

resultsFifty one participants took part in 33 interviews (eight patients alone, six patient/caregiver dyads and 19 professionals) and two focus groups (12 professionals). Living with cancer was hard work for patients and caregivers and comparable to a 'full-time job'. Patients had personal goals which involved controlling pain intensity and balancing this with analgesic use, side effects, overall symptom burden and social/physical activities.Digital technologies were embraced by most patients, and made living life with advanced cancer easier and richer (eg, video calls with family). Technology was underutilised for pain and symptom management. There were suggestions that technology could support self-monitoring and communicating problems to professionals, but patients and professionals were concerned about technological monitoring adding to the work of managing illness.

conclusionsCancer pain management takes place in the context of multiple, sometimes competing personal goals. It is possible that technology could be used to help patients share individual symptom experiences and goals, thus enhancing tailored care. The challenge is for digital solutions to add value without adding undue burden.

Indexed as

Biomedical TechnologyDisease ManagementAgedCancer PainFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPalliative CareQualitative ResearchScotlandSelf-Help DevicesTechnology Assessment, Biomedicalcancercommunicationhome carepainsymptoms and symptom management

Identifiers

PMID28554888
PMCPMC5969332

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.