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
(2026) In Pain Medicine- Abstract
- 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,... (More) - 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. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- 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... (More) - 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. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/7993e9be-4321-4320-9ded-db4d63cebc75
- author
- Olofsson, Sara ; Klement, Maria LU ; Barreveld, Antje M. ; Mehta, Neel ; Persson, Ulf and Borrebaeck, Carl LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-05-04
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Pain Medicine
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:42082396
- ISSN
- 1526-2375
- DOI
- 10.1093/pm/pnag061
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 7993e9be-4321-4320-9ded-db4d63cebc75
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-06 11:08:42
- date last changed
- 2026-05-08 12:40:30
@article{7993e9be-4321-4320-9ded-db4d63cebc75,
abstract = {{Background<br/>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.<br/><br/>Objective<br/>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.<br/><br/>Method<br/>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).<br/><br/>Result<br/>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.<br/><br/>Conclusion<br/>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.}},
author = {{Olofsson, Sara and Klement, Maria and Barreveld, Antje M. and Mehta, Neel and Persson, Ulf and Borrebaeck, Carl}},
issn = {{1526-2375}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Pain Medicine}},
title = {{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}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnag061}},
doi = {{10.1093/pm/pnag061}},
year = {{2026}},
}