Head of Product Override Health Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
Abstract Title: Virtual Comprehensive Pain Care: Outcomes from an Interdisciplinary Approach in 71 Patients
Background: The treatment of complex chronic pain necessitates comprehensive and multidisciplinary interventions. This study evaluates the outcomes of a virtual interdisciplinary pain management program by Override Health (Override), which addresses chronic pain through a holistic, team-based approach. Evidence from the VA's Whole Health initiative supports the efficacy of integrative models in pain care, emphasizing the importance of addressing physical, emotional, and psychological dimensions through medical and psychological interventions.
Override’s program incorporates pain medicine, psychology, physical therapy, and health coaching, along with education on pain mechanisms and neuroplasticity to enhance patient self-management. The program includes structured social support and community-building, through group coaching and peer support, to mitigate the social isolation often experienced by individuals with chronic pain. The program includes access to the Override app which houses pain education, goal setting, health metrics tracking, a meditation library, provider messaging, and other interactive elements.
Personalized treatment plans are designed to optimize patient outcomes and ensure sustainable pain management practices. This preliminary data indicates significant reductions in pain catastrophizing, improvements in functionality and overall quality of life. These findings suggest that scalable, virtual, patient-centered pain management solutions, like those offered by Override, can be effectively implemented across diverse healthcare settings.
Purpose/Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual interdisciplinary pain management program in addressing chronic pain. By leveraging a team-based and pain neuroscience-informed approach, the program seeks to improve pain levels, enhance quality of life, and foster physical and psychological well-being among participants. This study further aims to determine patient satisfaction, the overall effectiveness of the program, and its potential as a scalable and sustainable model for chronic pain management within broader healthcare systems. The insights gained will help optimize virtual care strategies and inform future research and integration efforts.
Methods: From August 3, 2023 to June 11, 2024, 71 adult patients received comprehensive pain care virtually from an interdisciplinary team of at least two providers – including a pain physician, psychologist, physical therapist, and/or health coach – who work individually with patients and together as a team. The program included pain neuroscience education, health metrics tracking, provider messaging, and goal setting through the Override mobile app and optional group coaching sessions, focusing on a biopsychosocial approach to pain management. Patient progress was monitored using standardized tools derived from validated surveys.
Patients were included in the analysis if they participated in the program for at least 3 months.
Results: Key outcomes from the program are as follows:
All 71 patients had previously tried at least one type of intervention to relieve their pain which could include: medication, procedures (surgeries, injections, etc), and/or other treatment methods (physical therapy, TENS unit, brace, etc).
Quality of life improvement: 77.46% of patients experienced an improvement in quality of life by an average of 3.67 on a scale of 0-10.
Physical function improvement: 76.06% of patients experienced an improvement in their physical function by an average of 3.11 on a scale of 0-10.
Pain catastrophizing improvement: 70.42% of patients experienced a reduction in pain catastrophizing by an average of 3.82 on a scale of 0-10.
Pain improvement: 64.79% of patients experienced an improvement in their pain score by an average of 2.33 on a scale of 0-10.
Patient Satisfaction: 95.26% of patients report being very satisfied with their Override care team
Program Effectiveness: 89.06% of patients agreed or strongly agreed on the program's effectiveness for better managing their pain.
Conclusions/Implications for future research and/or clinical care: Our study demonstrates the successful delivery of comprehensive, integrative pain care through a virtual platform. The significant improvements in pain catastrophizing, quality of life, physical function, and psychological well-being support the efficacy of a virtual interdisciplinary approach in managing chronic pain. These findings suggest that virtual interdisciplinary pain management programs can be a viable alternative to traditional in-person care, offering flexibility and accessibility to patients.
Future research should focus on the scalability, cost-savings, and long-term sustainability of such models, as well as their integration into broader healthcare systems. Further investigation into patient-specific factors that influence outcomes can also help refine and optimize the program.
References: Brenner, L. A., Ivins, B. J., Schwab, K., Warden, D., Nelson, L. A., Jaffee, M. S., & Terrio, H. (2020). Trajectories of recovery and symptom improvement following combat-related mild traumatic brain injury: A 5-year longitudinal study. Military Medicine, 185(11-12), e2150-e2157. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usaa301
Scascighini, L., Toma, V., Dober-Spielmann, S., & Sprott, H. (2008). Multidisciplinary treatment for chronic pain: A systematic review of interventions and outcomes. Rheumatology (Oxford), 47(5), 670-678. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/ken021
