Use of Activity Tracking Technology in Chronic Pain Intervention

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Use of Activity Tracking Technology in Chronic Pain Intervention

  • IRAS ID

    260287

  • Contact name

    Joel-Ellis Dalton

  • Contact email

    j.dalton@2017.hull.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Hull

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 3 months, 25 days

  • Research summary

    Chronic pain has been described as pain that extends beyond the expected point of healing. It is estimated that 43% of the UK population experiences pain which could be considered chronic in nature. There remains no treatment that consistently and permanently removes pain, thus there is a need for treatments which manage it. The current study aims to investigate the utility of incorporating activity tracking technology into a pain management programme.
    This pilot study will employ mixed methodology in order to investigate both whether or not having an activity tracker is beneficial to those in chronic pain and potential reasons why or why not this is the case. One group of participants will be provided Fitbit Charge HRs while they undertake an eight week outpatient pain management programme at a Hospital; a control group will only undertake the programme. Participants’ responses to measures (chosen to examine pain levels, sleep quality and well-being/quality of life) and self-reports of activity and hours spent asleep as well as data generated by the Fitbit devices will be analysed. Participants in the experimental group will also be given a questionnaire asking about their experiencing of using a Fitbit.

  • REC name

    South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    19/SC/0538

  • Date of REC Opinion

    16 Oct 2019

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion