Telemedicine Solutions for Chronic Pain: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Novel System

Abstract

Background: Chronic pain is a complex condition affecting a significant portion of the population, and various approaches are being explored for its management. Objectives: This study aims to design and evaluate a telemedicine system for chronic pain management. Methods: A developmental cross-sectional study was conducted in three phases: Identifying a minimum dataset through literature review and expert opinion, developing and testing a prototype using Nielsen's Ten Heuristics, and finalizing and evaluating the system with the Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction (QUIS). Results: The minimum dataset included 56 elements across eight categories. The system was developed as a web-based platform. Usability evaluation based on Nielsen’s ten principles showed that the highest number of issues (n = 9) and the greatest severity (mean score 2.37) were related to the system-real world consistency. User satisfaction with the interface was favorable, with mean scores of 8.07 ± 0.41 for specialists and 7.73 ± 0.55 for patients. Conclusions: The designed telemedicine system for chronic pain management, considering its features, provides specialized services to patients with chronic pain who are unable to visit a pain specialist in person. Additionally, by eliminating unnecessary visits to medical centers, this system can be beneficial in reducing related costs.