Staff at residential and nursing homes in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes are using facial recognition technology to assess and manage the pain levels of residents.
The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System (BLMK ICS) is running a pilot using the PainChek mobile phone app, which can make assessments of pain based on facial expressions.
The ICS said the method is particularly useful for residents who are unable to express themselves verbally, due to illness or disability, and that it can raise the quality of care and reduce reliance on medication.
It has also extended the pilot, which is being delivered in collaboration with Central Bedfordshire Council under the Digitising Social Care programme, to support up to 1,000 residents.
So far seven care homes in Central Bedfordshire have participated in the pilot. In the first three months, 39 users across six care homes conducted 152 assessments, identifying 124 instances of pain; and in the first two months the quantity of pain medication used across four homes fell by 55%.
BLMK ICS said this may indicate more accurate and consistent pain assessments, which allow care staff to make more informed pain management decisions.
Viability, scalability and impact
Patricia Coker, senior responsible officer on the Digitising Social Care programme and head of integration (health and adult social care), said: “PainChek supports effective management of pain, and has been shown to improve experience of care and promote better quality of life for our residents. We were keen to assess its viability, scalability and impact for our residents and care providers.”
Louise Norris, deputy home manager at Oak Manor Care Home in Shefford, said: “The information is easy to access and track and it’s a good tool to work with, alongside the GP, to manage pain.”
The ICS plans to evaluate the results of the pilot after 12 months to decide whether to extend the roll out of the app.
