ArticleBMC health services research2022
Engaging with EPIO, a digital pain self-management program: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03705104 (Living Well with Chronic Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Living Well with Chronic Pain: Using Person-centered E-health Design to Support Self-management
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patients' Experiences of Digital Health Interventions for the Self-Management of Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Delivery Model Matters for Digital Interventions in Pain Self-Management: Mixed Methods Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Short-Term Findings From Testing EPIO, a Digital Self-Management Program for People Living With Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Trial
- One size does not fit all: Participants' experiences of the selfBACK app to support self-management of low back pain-a qualitative interview study.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2022Trial
- Design Preferences for Mental Health Apps Among Nondigitally Native Adults With Chronic Pain: Qualitative Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- A Chronic Pain Self-Management Mobile App (Dolodoc): Cross-Sectional Acceptability Study.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- A Reflexive Thematic Analysis Exploring the Experiences of People Using the Curable App for Chronic Pain.Pain research & management · 2025Article
- Changes in cognition, coping, pain and emotions after 12-months access to the digital self-management program EPIO.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Strategies to optimise the health equity impact of digital pain self-reporting tools: a series of multi-stakeholder focus groups.International journal for equity in health · 2024Article
- Living well with chronic pain: a 12-month randomized controlled trial revealing impact from the digital pain self-management program EPIO.Pain reports · 2024Article
- The Web-Based Pain-at-Work Toolkit With Telephone Support for Employees With Chronic or Persistent Pain: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Feasibility Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic pain conditions entail significant personal and societal burdens and improved outreach of evidence-based pain self-management programs are needed. Digital cognitive-behavioral self-management interventions have shown promise. However, evidence is still scarce and several challenges with such interventions for chronic pain exist. Exploring patients' experiences and engagement with digital interventions may be an essential step towards developing meaningful digital self-management interventions for those living with chronic pain.
objectivesThis study aimed to gain insight into the experiences of people with chronic pain when engaging with EPIO, an application (app)-based cognitive-behavioral pain self-management intervention program.
methodsParticipants (N = 50) living with chronic pain received access to the EPIO intervention in a feasibility pilot-study for 3 months. During this time, all participants received a follow-up phone call at 2-3 weeks, and a subsample (n = 15) also participated in individual semi-structured interviews after 3 months. A qualitative design was used and thematic analysis was employed aiming to capture participants' experiences when engaging with the EPIO intervention program.
resultsFindings identifying program-related experiences and engagement were organized into three main topics, each with three sub-themes: (1) Engaging with EPIO; motivation to learn, fostering joy and enthusiasm, and helpful reminders and personalization, (2) Coping with pain in everyday life; awareness, practice and using EPIO in everyday life, and (3) The value of engaging with the EPIO program; EPIO - a friend, making peace with the presence of pain, and fostering communication and social support.
conclusionsThis qualitative study explored participants' experiences and engagement with EPIO, a digital self-management intervention program for people living with chronic pain. Findings identified valued aspects related to motivation for engagement, and showed how such a program may be incorporated into daily life, and encourage a sense of acceptance, social support and relatedness. The findings highlight vital components for facilitating digital program engagement and use in support of self-management for people living with chronic pain.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03705104 .
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Registered trials
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.