Background & Aims

Pain is a significant health issue, and pain assessment is essential for proper diagnosis, follow-up, and effective management of pain. The conventional methods of pain assessment often suffer from subjectivity and variability. The main issue is to understand better how people experience pain. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been playing a growing role in improving clinical diagnosis and decision making. This article provides an overview of the current state of AI in pain assessment and explores its potential for improving accuracy, efficiency, and personalized care

Methods

By examining the existing literature, research gaps, and future directions, this article aims to guide further advancements in the field of pain management. An online database search was conducted via multiple websites to identify the relevant articles. The inclusion criteria were English articles published between January (2014 to 2024). Articles that were available as full text were clinical trials, observational studies, review articles, systemic reviews, and meta-analyses were included in this review. The exclusion criteria were articles that were not in the English language, not available as free full-text, those involving pediatric patients, case reports, and editorials. A total of (47) articles included in this review.

Results

Pain is a complex and multidimensional symptom that requires multimodal approaches for accurate assessments. Various AI techniques such as ML, NLP, CV, and wearable devices can be utilized to assess pain. Evidence is promising regarding incorporating AI tools for objective, personalized, and accurate assessment of pain. There are some limitations to consider in integrating AI in pain assessment, such as data quality and ethical considerations. More collaborations between AI experts and healthcare professionals are required to enhance the integration of AI in pain management and improve the patient’s outcome.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the application of AI in pain management could present promising solutions for pain assessment. AI can potentially increase the accuracy, precision and efficiency of objective pain assessment.

References

1. Ali O, Abdelbaki W, Shrestha A et al. A systematic literature review of artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector: Benefits, challenges, methodologies, and functionalities Journal of Innovation & Knowledge 2023; (8)100333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100333.
2. El-Tallawy SN, Ahmed RS, Nagiub MS. Pain management in the most vulnerable intellectual disability: a review. Pain Ther 2023, 12:939-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-023-00526-w
3. Cascella M, Schiavo D, Cuomo A et al. Artificial Intelligence for Automatic Pain Assessment: Research Methods and Perspectives. Pain Research and Management Volume 2023, Article ID 6018736, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6018736.
4. El-Tallawy S N, Ahmed R S, Shabi S M, Al-Zabidi FZ, Zaidi AZ, Varrassi G, Perglozzi GV, LeQuang JA, Paladini A. The challenges of pain assessment in geriatric patients with dementia: A Review. Cureus 2023; 15(11): e49639. DOI 10.7759/cureus.49639.

Presenting Author

Salah N. El-Tallawy

Poster Authors

Salah El Tallawy

MD

Minia University

Lead Author

Topics

  • Assessment and Diagnosis