EASE Breathe Study: Wearable respiratory monitoring and feedback for chronic pain in survivors of childhood cancer

EASE Breathe Study: Examining wearable respiratory monitoring and feedback for chronic pain in adult survivors of childhood cancer

Research shows that around 40% of adult survivors of childhood cancer live with chronic pain. Unfortunately, access to evidence-based chronic pain interventions is limited – especially for those who live in rural and remote areas. Digital health interventions, including the use of wearable devices, present an opportunity to help overcome barriers to accessing evidence-based interventions for chronic pain, including geographic location and limited access to trained providers. Our findings indicate wearable respiratory monitoring and feedback may be accessible and helpful interventions for chronic pain and associated mental health late effects among survivors of childhood cancer.

• What we studied:

We examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of wearable respiratory monitoring and feedback for chronic pain and associated outcomes among adult survivors of childhood cancer.

• What we found:

We found evidence to support the acceptability and feasibility of wearable respiratory monitoring among survivors of childhood cancer. More specifically, most participants completed the recommended breathing exercises and used the wearable devices consistently throughout the trials.

We also found participants who received wearable respiratory monitoring and feedback experienced less negative affect at the end of the trial compared to those who did not receive this intervention. Promising changes in pain and mental health outcomes were also observed. However, these changes were not statistically significant.

• What’s next:

We plan to examine the effectiveness of wearable respiratory monitoring and feedback for chronic pain among survivors of childhood cancer in a larger randomized controlled trial.