Rapid Pain Assessment Tool with AI support: redefining pain management. Pilot study

Background. Effective pain management relies on accurate and timely assessment. Traditional pain assessment tools often suffer from subjectivity, delayed evaluation, and inconsistencies across healthcare providers. Rapid Pain Assessment Tool (R-PAT) integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) support was developed to enhance the precision, consistency, and speed of pain assessment, aiming to redefine the approach to its management. ­Materials and methods. A pilot study was conducted in a clinical setting with 37 patients experiencing acute or chronic pain. R-PAT system combined patient self-reports, physiological data (e.g., heart rate, facial expression analysis), and AI-driven analysis to gene­rate real-time pain scores. The tool was compared with conventional numeric rating scale assessments conducted by healthcare professionals. Data was collected over a 7-day period, and the correlation between R-PAT and traditional assessments was analyzed along with time efficiency and user satisfaction. Results. The AI-generated pain scores showed a strong positive correlation with traditional pain scores (r = 0.88, p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of R-PAT in detecting moderate-to-severe pain were 92 and 89 %, respectively. The average time taken to assess pain using R-PAT was under 30 seconds compared to 2–3 minutes with conventional methods. R-PAT also allowed dynamic tracking of pain levels, which facilitated timely interventions. Conclusions. R-PAT with AI support proved to be a promising tool for enhancing pain assessment in clinical practice. It offers real-time, objective, and efficient pain evaluation, contributing to improved pain management outcomes. Larger-scale studies are warranted to validate its clinical utility across diverse populations and settings.