AI boosted self-management system has documented effect on low back pain
Posted on juni 14, 2022
Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability globally and is costly to societies due to sickness absence, lost productivity, and healthcare costs. SelfBack is a digital therapeutic powered by artificial intelligence, proven to reduce pain by 39 % on average.
It’s an advanced system, where the patient a tailormade self-management plan in their smartphone, including a personalised exercise program, updated, and adapted to the user’s abilities and progress on a weekly basis. Based on the continuous input of user data it ensures a constantly developing knowledge base to support the best possible, individual treatment suggestion.
Studies shows that LBP is associated with a range of other conditions such as anxiety and depressed mood, osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal, and respiratory disorders. Multimorbidity, the coexistence of two or more long-term conditions is a growing global challenge, with negative impacts on health care utilization, mortality, and quality of life. LBP is also the third most common reason for individuals in the United States to visit their primary care physician.
Evidence-based self-management support that is tailored to the needs and abilities of the patient is recommended as part of the first-line treatment for nonspecific LBP. However, primary care physicians generally lack the time, resources, and training to deliver such support, and adherence to self-management recommendations without feedback or reinforcement is challenging for most patients.
An international RCT study with 461 participants showed a 32 % better outcome for those using SelfBack, compared to care not complemented by SelfBack. The SelfBack app provided weekly recommendations for physical activity, strength and flexibility exercises, Cognitive behavioral therapy, and daily educational messages. Self-management recommendations were tailored to participant characteristics and symptoms. A 39 % pain reduction was achieved on average, compared to when users started using SelfBack.
– SelfBack aims to support the patients outside of the clinical environment, helping towards a pain-free daily life, says Søren Kleberg, CEO of SelfBack.
– With a smart and individually tailored self-management program we see the potential to increase quality of life and enhance current patient pathways with a digital component. This saves both time and monetary resources in the field of low back pain, says Søren Kleberg, CEO of SelfBack.
To achieve this, SelfBack implements evidence backed elements from the national clinical guidelines by offering personalized exercise program, cognitive behavioral therapy, comprehensive educational material, activity goal setting, motivational messages and reminders which help promote good adherence and increase the chances for a positive outcome, as well as a First Aid Kit for acute pain flare ups and sleep and relaxation help.
SelfBack at HIMSS
To learn more about the NHS England digital pathway case and how SelfBack can facilitate Telehealth 2.0 solutions, please visit SelfBack at the HealthTech Nordic Stand. SelfBack is a member of the HealthTech Nordic network and is selected to present at their pavilion 410 at the HIMSS conference in Helsinki 14-16 June. You can also meet them 15 June 1.30-2.30 pm in conference room 207.
Contact: Søren Kleberg soren@selfback.dk