Digital App Trial Shows New Way to Support Chronic Pain Care
31 Jul 2026
Chronic pain affects around one in five Australians and is one of the most common reasons people visit a GP. Despite this, many patients spend years trying different treatments before finding what works best.
Researchers from The University of Queensland, led by Associate Professor Nancy Sturman and supported by the Foundation and Medibank Better Health Foundation, tested the StudyU mobile app in a pilot trial.
The app allows patients to complete structured self-trials by recording their symptoms each day, comparing different treatment approaches, and creating reports that can be shared with their GP.
Associate Professor Sturman said the goal is to replace simple trial-and-error with a more organised way of understanding which treatments are most effective for each person.
Participants who used the app said it gave them greater control over managing their chronic pain, and some continued using the approach after the study ended.
Although the pilot involved a small group, the findings showed strong interest from both patients and GPs in using digital tools to support chronic pain management in general practice.
The study also found that many people living with persistent pain have busy lives, making it difficult to start new health programs even when they may be beneficial.
Researchers observed higher patient participation when an allied health professional helped with recruitment, highlighting the value of multidisciplinary care for people with chronic pain.
Associate Professor Sturman said GPs were supportive of digitally enabled self-testing, showing there is interest in introducing innovative tools into primary care.
The research team is now using these findings to guide the next stage of the project, including studies involving patients waiting for pain clinic appointments.
Future research will focus on improving how digital tools such as StudyU are introduced, supported, and integrated into routine care so they better fit patient needs and clinical practice.
Digital App Trial Shows New Way to Support Chronic Pain Care
Source: newsGP