Chronic pain is one of the main symptoms for patients suffering with neurological conditions such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy and after many surgeries. Every year approximately 900,000 hospital bed days are taken up with the management of patients suffering with long term pain. It is known, that early and timely prescribing of analgesia contributes to better patient outcomes and could influence early discharge for those who require a hospital stay.
The new Pain App was created following feedback from patients and junior doctors, who said that although there was a plethora of useful books and websites offering information, they wanted accurate, locally relevant high quality information readily available when they needed it.
The aim was to create a one point source of information that would be available on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets.
The App provides quick and easy access to information about all painkillers currently available at the RBFT, along with suggested regimes for many different drugs. It is hoped the new technology will support junior doctors and GPs, and provide confidence in starting appropriate analgesic medication for patients early.
Users can be confident that the guidelines and information in the application are an accurate reflection of the advice given by the RBFT pain management unit.
Healthcare professionals and patients can access the MicroGuide app through the App store for iOS devices or Play store for android devices, and then follow instructions to choose the correct guide for the Royal Berkshire Hospital.