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Cerda IH, Therond A, Moreau S, Studer K, Donjow AR, Crowther JE, Mazzolenis ME, Lang M, Tolba R, Gilligan C, Ashina S, Kaye AD, Yong RJ, Schatman ME, Robinson CL. Telehealth and Virtual Reality Technologies in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2024; 28:83-94. [PMID: 38175490 DOI: 10.1007/s11916-023-01205-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review provides medical practitioners with an overview of the present and emergent roles of telehealth and associated virtual reality (VR) applications in chronic pain (CP) management, particularly in the post-COVID-19 healthcare landscape. RECENT FINDINGS Accumulated evidence points to the efficacy of now well-established telehealth modalities, such as videoconferencing, short messaging service (SMS), and mobile health (mHealth) applications in complementing remote CP care. More recently, and although still in early phases of clinical implementation, a wide range of VR-based interventions have demonstrated potential for improving the asynchronous remote management of CP. Additionally, VR-associated technologies at the leading edge of science and engineering, such as VR-assisted biofeedback, haptic technology, high-definition three-dimensional (HD3D) conferencing, VR-enabled interactions in a Metaverse, and the use of wearable monitoring devices, herald a new era for remote, synchronous patient-physician interactions. These advancements hold the potential to facilitate remote physical examinations, personalized remote care, and innovative interventions such as ultra-realistic biofeedback. Despite the promise of VR-associated technologies, several limitations remain, including the paucity of robust long-term effectiveness data, heterogeneity of reported pain-related outcomes, challenges with scalability and insurance coverage, and demographic-specific barriers to patient acceptability. Future research efforts should be directed toward mitigating these limitations to facilitate the integration of telehealth-associated VR into the conventional management of CP. Despite ongoing barriers to widespread adoption, recent evidence suggests that VR-based interventions hold an increasing potential to complement and enhance the remote delivery of CP care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo H Cerda
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Alexandra Therond
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sacha Moreau
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kachina Studer
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department Mechanical Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason E Crowther
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Maria Emilia Mazzolenis
- Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, John A, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Min Lang
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reda Tolba
- Pain Management Department in the Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Christopher Gilligan
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sait Ashina
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan D Kaye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA
| | - R Jason Yong
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael E Schatman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health-Division of Medical Ethics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher L Robinson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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