Effectiveness of Internet Hospitals for Chronic Pain Management
Author Information
Author(s): Sang Ling, Bixin Zheng, Xianzheng Zeng, Huizhen Liu, Qing Jiang, Maotong Liu, Chenyu Zhu, Maoying Wang, Zengwei Yi, Keyu Song, Li Song
Primary Institution: West China Hospital, Sichuan University
Hypothesis
This study aims to explore the effectiveness of chronic pain management by internet hospitals compared to traditional physical hospital visits.
Conclusion
Internet hospitals are an effective way of managing chronic pain, improving patients' quality of life and satisfaction while reducing treatment costs.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients using internet hospitals had greater satisfaction compared to those using physical hospitals.
- Both groups showed improvement in quality of life after pain management.
- Internet hospitals significantly reduced treatment costs compared to physical hospitals.
Takeaway
Internet hospitals help people with chronic pain feel better and save money because they can get care from home instead of going to a regular hospital.
Methodology
This was a retrospective cohort study comparing patients with chronic pain who used internet hospitals versus those who visited physical hospitals, using demographic data and follow-up assessments.
Potential Biases
Potential recall and cognitive biases due to data collection through telephone interviews.
Limitations
The study is retrospective, may have recall bias, and did not account for pain severity or types of drug use before matching.
Participant Demographics
Middle-aged patients (45-64 years) with chronic pain.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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