(Article from the Pain Australia October 2016 newsletter)
Soula Mantalvanos knows a lot about living with pain—and the frustrations of retelling her story to every new doctor and health professional.
Hoping to make the journey easier, she developed {Pain}Train, an online platform where patients can record and store personal pain-related information, as well as upload reports and test results.
Patients can then share their profile with medical practitioners prior to a consultation, and even check if it has been viewed. They can also revoke access.
“{Pain}Train allows patients to communicate their history without carrying an enormous paper file with them,” said Soula, who has been living with pelvic pain for almost 10 years.
“Like many with chronic pain, I’ve been asked the same questions a lot over the years: how did the pain begin, what investigations have you had, did you bring any reports, and questions about treatments, medications and other therapists.
“Severe pain, fatigue and the influence of strong painkillers, can affect a person’s ability to provide an accurate picture of their pain experience.”
Soula says the other advantage of {Pain}Train is that it empowers patients, giving them a sense of control over their health, which is a big part of self-management. Patients can make multiple customised profiles for various health issues for $49 for a year’s subscription. Clinics can also subscribe, to offer {Pain}Train to their patients.
{Pain} Train is backed by an Advisory Board that includes Dr Nick Christelis, Arthur Papakotsias and Christopher Balmford, while Dr John Quintner provided input into its development.
You can find out more about {Pain}Train, and test-ride it for a month for free, at: www.pain-train.com.au.
