News Release

New iPad app helps children and young people with JIA communicate their pain experiences

Study shows 95 percent of children prefer 'This Feeling!' to conventional tools

Peer-Reviewed Publication

European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR)

Rome, Italy, 11 June 2015: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) demonstrated the value of a new interactive iPad app that helps young people with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) describe their pain. Almost all of the children preferred the new digital tool, aptly titled 'This Feeling', to other conventional methods and felt it was an interesting and engaging way to communicate about their experiences of pain.1

"It is vital for children and young people to be able to communicate about their pain in order for them to access the best possible support to manage their condition long term," said Professor Wendy Thomson, Inflammatory Arthritis in Children Lead at the NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, UK. "'This Feeling!' uses familiar technology that children and young people are comfortable with, encouraging them to describe the pain type, intensity, location, spread and emotional impact at a given time, by using an interactive manikin, adjustable pain icons, facial expressions, drawing tools and free text description. The app is a simple multidimensional approach to pain management that allows those with JIA to communicate the intricacies of their pain."

Pain is the most common symptom of JIA1, causing distress and negatively impacting on a child's physical, social and emotional wellbeing.2 It is subjective, making it a challenge to comprehend how much pain someone is in, or the type of pain they are experiencing. This is a greater challenge in children, as they may be yet to develop the verbal communication tools needed to articulate how they feel.

"Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of JIA, pain is still poorly managed and this is distressing for both children and their parents. For every individual the feeling is unique, which can be hard to explain effectively, and for children, communication barriers also play a key role," added Professor Thomson.

Young people aged between 5 and 16 were recruited as part of the Childhood Arthritis Prospective Study (CAPS) to compare conventional self-report measures (Visual Analogue Scale and The Faces Pain Scale, revised) with 'This Feeling!'. A cross-sectional design using mixed methods, including semi-structured interviews, were administrated to each young person attending an outpatient clinic.

Results show that 95% of children preferred using the app over the other conventional methods as it was easier and far more interesting to use.1 Parents praised the app for capturing the complexity of pain in a child friendly way, which other conventional pain measures failed to do.

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This study was funded by the NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit and Arthritis Research UK.

Abstract Number: OP0157

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For further information on this study, or to request an interview with the study lead, please do not hesitate to contact the EULAR congress Press Office in Room 5B of Fiera Roma during EULAR 2015 or on:
Email: eularpressoffice@cohnwolfe.com
Onsite tel: +44 (0) 7738 890 799/ +44 (0) 20 7331 5442
Twitter: @EULAR_Press
Youtube: Eular Pressoffice

About EULAR

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) is an umbrella organisation which represents scientific societies, health professional associations and organisations for people with rheumatic diseases throughout Europe.

EULAR aims to promote, stimulate and support the research, prevention, and treatment of rheumatic diseases and the rehabilitation of those it affects.

With 45 scientific member societies, 35 People with Arthritis and Rheumatism in Europe (PARE) organisations, 19 health professionals associations and 21 corporate members, EULAR highlights the importance of combating rheumatic diseases through both medical means and patient care.

EULAR 2015 is set to be the biggest rheumatology event in Europe with around 14,000 scientists, physicians, allied health professionals and related audiences in attendance from more than 120 countries. Over the course of the congress there will be some 300 oral and just under 2,000 poster abstract presentations, more than 150 sessions, 400 lectures, 40 poster tours and 350 invited speakers.

To find out more about the activities of EULAR, visit: http://www.eular.org

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

NIHR is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government's strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website.

The NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit

The research unit was created by the National Institute for Health Research in 2012 to move scientific breakthroughs in the laboratory, through clinical assessment into improved outcomes for adults and children with musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis. As a partnership between Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester, the Biomedical Research Unit is designated as a specialist centre of excellence in musculoskeletal diseases. (http://www.manchestermskbru.org).

About The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester, a member of the prestigious Russell Group of British universities, is the largest and most popular university in the UK. It has 20 academic schools and hundreds of specialist research groups undertaking pioneering multi-disciplinary teaching and research of worldwide significance.

The University of Manchester is one of the country's major research institutions, rated fifth in the UK in terms of 'research power' (REF 2014), and has had no fewer than 25 Nobel laureates either work or study there. The University had an annual income of £886 million in 2013/14. http://www.manchester.ac.uk


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