ABSTRACT
Chronic pain is a medical condition that severely decreases the quality of life for those who struggle to cope with it. Interactive
voice response (IVR) technology has the ability to track symptoms and disease progression, to investigate the relationships
between symptom patterns and clinical outcomes, to assess the efficacy of ongoing treatments, and to directly serve as an
adjunct to therapeutic treatment for chronic pain. While many approaches exist toward the management of chronic pain, all
have their pitfalls and none work universally. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one approach that has been shown to be
fairly effective, and therapeutic interactive voice response technology provides a convenient and easy-to-use means of extending
the therapeutic gains of CBT long after patients have discontinued clinical visitations. This review summarizes the advantages
and disadvantages of IVR technology, provides evidence for the efficacy of the method in monitoring and managing chronic pain,
and addresses potential future directions that the technology may take as a therapeutic intervention in its own right.
voice response (IVR) technology has the ability to track symptoms and disease progression, to investigate the relationships
between symptom patterns and clinical outcomes, to assess the efficacy of ongoing treatments, and to directly serve as an
adjunct to therapeutic treatment for chronic pain. While many approaches exist toward the management of chronic pain, all
have their pitfalls and none work universally. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one approach that has been shown to be
fairly effective, and therapeutic interactive voice response technology provides a convenient and easy-to-use means of extending
the therapeutic gains of CBT long after patients have discontinued clinical visitations. This review summarizes the advantages
and disadvantages of IVR technology, provides evidence for the efficacy of the method in monitoring and managing chronic pain,
and addresses potential future directions that the technology may take as a therapeutic intervention in its own right.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Systematic Reviews
- Pages 1-9
- DOI 10.1007/s13142-012-0115-x
- Authors
- Gregory Lieberman, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 1 South Prospect Street, UHC, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
- Magdalena R Naylor, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 1 South Prospect Street, UHC, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
- Journal Translational Behavioral Medicine
- Online ISSN 1613-9860
- Print ISSN 1869-6716