New technology to identify and manage pain for those with dementia

Posted on: 19/09/2020

An exciting breakthrough in technology has led to the launch of unique facial analysis technology that enables care workers and clinicians to identify and manage pain in dementia and cognitively impaired patients in the UK.

PainChek® is the world’s first intelligent pain assessment tool that uses artificial intelligence to interpret facial expressions to alert carers and healthcare professionals when a patient is in pain, monitor their treatment and evidence their overall quality of care.

Around 70% of the UK’s care home population have dementia or memory problems, with 80% of these suffering pain at any one time and 50% having persistent pain.

What are the benefits of this technology?

  1. Automates – The key assessment processes are automated saving time and reducing risk of error.
  2. Empowers – All caregivers are empowered to accurately assess and manage pain at the bedside and in the home environment.
  3. Documents – Pain assessments for reporting, compliance and monitoring effectiveness of treatment are documented.
  4. Supports – Healthcare providers are supported to improve the quality of life for people in pain and provided with a platform for optimising healthcare treatment.

Commenting on the initiative, Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO of Care England, said: “The care home of the future will be one that is enabled by technology, and this will improve outcomes for the people in care homes, and it will lift many of the administrative burdens from the staff team, enabling them to focus on the quality of care. Technology will also play a vital part in enabling people in care homes to live as independently as possible and to have choice and control over many more aspects of their lives.”

PainChek®, a smartphone-based medical device that is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, is also a safe and rapid pain assessment App that complies with social distancing requirements and infection control procedures, minimising risks for patients, residents and their carers.