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Conversational AI to Improve Chronic Pain and Comorbid Conditions
Purba, Manreet Singh Weise, Daniel Tarbi, Elise
Purba, Manreet Singh
Weise, Daniel
Tarbi, Elise
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Abstract
Chronic pain management has proven to be a complex disease to treat within the realm of primary care. This necessitates the introduction of an innovative strategy that can bridge the gap between our patients' needs and the available resources through evidenced-based practice. The implementation of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was centered around the use of a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) based intervention facilitated through an artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced mobile chatbot application, Wysa, to address the concomitant biopsychosocial comorbidities associated with chronic pain in the adult population. This project aimed to increase Pain, Enjoyment of Life and General Activity (PEG) scores by 15%, whilst concurrently aiming for associated reductions in Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores by April of 2025. Anchored in Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory, the implementation of this quality improvement project embraced a comprehensive biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain management within primary care. Implementation entailed patient recruitment, enrollment and administration of baseline and follow-up questionnaires through an 8-week Wysa-guided chronic pain focused CBT delivery program from 09/2024-12/2024. While limited by participant recruitment and retention, this intervention successfully achieved its aim of yielding clinically significant reductions in PEG, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores, with results exceeding the targeted 15% improvement threshold. Ethical and legal considerations were taken throughout this quality improvement project to uphold the tenets of patient autonomy, data privacy, and the patient-provider relationship. This study highlights the potential of AI-enabled CBT interventions as a scalable and accessible method for chronic pain management in primary care.
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2025-01-01