Wellmind Health has been awarded NIHR funding to assess the impact of its digital pain management programme in preventing the combination of chronic pain and poor mental health that drives extra NHS service use and cost.
Wellmind Health has secured funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to research the impact of their digital pain management programme, Pathway through Pain, in preventing the combination of chronic pain and poor mental health and easing the workload for NHS staff.
The Pathway through Pain digital pain management programme teaches the self-management of pain through a multi-disciplinary team of experts, including in mindfulness and cognitive therapy. A Class I medical device, it has been used in the NHS for over a decade to help patients manage their chronic musculoskeletal pain.
The project will examine if Pathway through Pain can prevent chronic pain progressing into combined physical and mental multi-morbidity and relieve pressure on the healthcare workforce. Key outcome measurements will include NHS workforce and system impact, such as reducing repeat appointments and deterioration and disengagement from rehabilitation; patient benefits, including sustained engagement and improving and protecting mental health to prevent progression into complex multi-morbidity; and economic value.
This NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) FAST programme in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre Network funds projects developing technology-assisted workforce solutions that prevent the progression of a chronic condition to multi-morbidity in community, home and care settings. In the UK ~46% of those living with persistent pain also experience depression or anxiety. The combined burden of pain and poor mental health is both distressing for individuals and costly for the healthcare system, driving extra service use and cost.
"Projects like these showcase the ambition and potential in health technology - NIHR's funding for this research supports the government's 10 Year Health Plan, aiming to prevent ill-health, catch conditions early, and shift services out of hospitals and into the community. Health tech research like this will bring benefits for the whole of society."
"We are delighted to receive this NIHR funding. Improving mental health is a key element of Pathway through Pain so studying in-depth the effects for both individuals and the NHS is essential. Positive results in improving both mental health and pain management can help enable people to stay engaged with their care, need fewer repeat appointments and rely less on healthcare services."
A steering group of patients and clinicians will refine outcomes, guide design and interpretation, and ensure findings remain grounded in lived experience. If the results are strong, the next step will be a larger study across several regions to test longer-term effects and support commissioning by Integrated Care Boards.
