The Open University (OU) and Milton Keynes University Hospital PainPad team have been named the winners of the Changemaker/Lightbulb Award at the MK STEM awards which took place on 29 February.
The PainPad is a new and efficient way for patients to conduct more frequent and accurate pain readings through the device.
The Changemaker / Lightbulb category is described as a project or initiative that is doing something innovative within its industry, making it stand out amongst others.
Developed by Professor Blaine Price and Dr Daniel Gooch, along with Professor Oliver Pearce, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH), the PainPad has proved to be a successful and accessible tool to support the improvement of patient care.
The PainPad enables patients to track their pain levels, providing clinicians with deeper insights into their pain experiences, thereby facilitating improved healthcare outcomes. Effective pain management is crucial for early discharge, and the PainPad enhances the accuracy of pain data, aiding patients in their recovery journey.
Traditional methods, such as patient diaries, can be impractical due to frequent lapses in completion, leading to inaccuracies. Beyond assisting outpatients, the PainPad significantly streamlines nurses’ tasks by empowering inpatients, like those recovering from joint surgery, to actively participate in their care, eliminating the need for continuous pain monitoring by nurses.
On winning the award, Professor Blaine Price said:
“This award reflects the positive outcomes that come from multidisciplinary research which focuses on addressing real world problems, drawing on academic expertise, medical insight, and collaboration with patients”.
Dr Daniel Gooch highlighted what the award means for their work:
“Receiving this award not only celebrates our progress so far but invigorates us to continue to work on the challenges around developing technologies to support the monitoring of patient pain”.
Professor Oliver Pearce complimented the partnership with the OU:
“It really rewards the efforts we have taken in co-designing the PainPad device with key users; children, nurses and patients alike”.
The PainPad is part of the OU’s Living Well theme under the Open Societal Challenges programme which aims to drive research to address crucial challenges facing people across the globe.
