Population Health News

AI Pain Care Tool May Increase Access, Reduce Costs for Chronic Pain Patients

A cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for chronic pain, personalized for patients using artificial intelligence, achieved similar results as standard therapies.

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Source: Getty Images

By Shania Kennedy

- New research published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for chronic pain (AI-CBT-CP) had similar outcomes to standard CBT-CP, which could result in increased access and reduced costs.

According to the study, CBT-CP is an effective alternative to opioids for chronic pain management. However, CBT-CP requires multiple sessions with a therapist, and there are not enough therapists to provide these services due to the ongoing clinician shortages and healthcare workforce issues. Because therapists are scarce, many patients have severely limited access to CBT-CP or fail to complete their treatment.

With relatively few other options available, many chronic pain patients may turn to opioids. Opioid prescription and misuse have come under scrutiny amid the ongoing opioid epidemic. Some research suggests that opioid overdoses increased significantly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.