MONITORING CHRONIC PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE USING TABLET SURVEYS IN OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN RURAL ARKANSAS

Abstract Arkansas has the second highest legal opioid prescribing rate in the U.S. We did a pilot study to assess the feasibility of using tablets to measure chronic pain and its impact of cognition, sleep, depression, and quality of life in older adults. Seventy-one older adults were trained in the use of tablets to use at home for 90 days that were pre-loaded with surveys on opioids, daily pain diary, sleep Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Geriatric Depression scale (GDS-15). 1,944 responses were recorded over three months by 71 participants with mean age ± SD 70 ± 8 years (range 55-91). Males 23%, females 50%. Of females, 51% were African American and 49% white. All but one male was white. 80% of participants reported some pain with most ratings between 5 or 6 out of 10 (10 being worst). None of the participants were on opioids during the period of the study. Memory symptoms were reported most frequently in 28% of respondents, followed by daytime sleepiness in 33%. PSQI scores indicated poor sleep quality in 28%. Only one participant’s GDS score suggested depression. The feasibility of using tablet-based assays in older adults living in rural regions was successfully demonstrated, showing that older adults are receptive to learning new information and recording their health parameters on a tablet. The data obtained can provide clinicians a broader picture of the older adults pain-associated symptomatology and thereby assist them in designing better personalized pain management programs.