PainChek® marks World Alzheimer’s Month by reaching 1 million UK pain assessments milestone

20 September 2024

Over 1 million digital pain assessments have been carried out in UK care settings since 2020, owing to adoption of PainChek^®’s technology across care homes in England, Scotland, and Wales.

PainChek^®, which started out in Australia and first launched in the UK in 2020, is the world’s first clinically proven digital pain assessment tool, enabling best-practice pain management for people living with pain in any environment, from those who cannot reliably self-report their pain, those who can, and for those whose ability to self-report their pain fluctuates. This includes people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive impairment, and disability.

Adoption of the technology continues to grow in the UK, and it is now contracted for use by 36,000 licensed beds in care settings - a 93% increase on last year, and representing 8% of the UK aged care sector.

PainChek^® utilises AI technology to detect the presence of pain even when it’s not obvious, using facial recognition via a smartphone camera. It identifies facial muscle movements indicating pain and guides carers to observe pain-related behaviours. Finally, PainChek^® calculates a pain score, which helps in implementing and monitoring pain management interventions.

Speaking during World Alzheimer’s Month, which aims to raise dementia awareness, Philip Daffas, CEO and managing director of PainChek^®, says: “We are delighted to be reaching and giving a voice to an increasing number of people living with pain in the UK, including those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“By 2040, it is predicted that up to 1.7 million people could be living with dementia in England and Wales. Due to associated cognitive and communication challenges, pain in dementia is often under-recognised and therefore undertreated. But access to pain management is a fundamental human right, highlighting the need for an effective and reliable solution. PainChek^®’s unique technology is already delivering remarkable clinical outcomes for care organisations worldwide, and as we continue our international growth trajectory, we remain committed to enhancing pain assessment and management for all. This latest milestone in the UK highlights PainChek^®’s role in facilitating best-practice pain management across the UK care sector.”

The positive clinical outcomes from care homes working with PainChek^®, as well as its endorsement by the Scottish Care Inspectorate, has led to further expansion across Scotland. Care UK has commenced the rollout of PainChek^® across its Scottish estate, and Dumfries and Galloway NHS Trust is funding PainChek^® across several services. In addition, a successful pilot in Abbey Healthcare’s care home in Hamilton, Scotland, has resulted in a rollout across Abbey Healthcare’s 16 homes, totalling 1,095 beds. The pilot saw the number of pain assessments carried out on residents increase by over 100%.

PainChek^® has contracts with 1,800 aged care facilities globally, with more than six million digital pain assessments conducted to date, and is trusted by thousands of nurses, carers and clinicians.

For more information, visit: https://painchek.com