PainChek shows major clinical and cost benefits in Scottish aged care trial

• PainChek delivers strong clinical and economic benefits to aged care providers in Scottish care trial
• Evaluation confirms significant clinical benefits across a range of areas along with economic advantages
• PainChek also successfully completes pilot integrating with InterSystems’ TrakCare electronic care record platform at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

Special Report: Developer of a smart device-based pain assessment and monitoring application, PainChek is making strong inroads into the UK aged care and hospital markets following successful testing in Scotland.

PainChek (ASX:PCK) has announced successful completion of completion of the Scottish Care Inspectorate pilot and the InterSystems integration and implementation pilot at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The Scottish Care Inspectorate pilot was government-funded and was independently evaluated by Edinburgh Napier University in collaboration with the Scottish Care Inspectorate.

The PainChek Adult App uses AI facial recognition to analyse facial muscle movements and detect pain, even when it isn’t obvious, and is designed for people with dementia or cognitive impairment who have limited communication.

The platform aligns with the national strategy of Scotland for improving dementia pain management, addressing clinical and ethical concerns.

Clinical benefits across various areas

Evaluation of the Scottish Care Inspectorate pilot confirmed significant clinical benefits across a range of areas.

Positive changes in prescription use were recorded, notably:

• 25% less analgesia;
• 34% reduction in laxatives; and
• 21% reduction in antidepressants.

Improvements in quality-of-life indicators for residents were recorded, including:

• 40% fewer falls, less distress;
• 47% increase in BMI scores supporting less malnutrition; and
• 27% decrease in dependency.

PainChek said there was also high workforce perception of the app with a large majority of staff believing it to be an effective digital solution to pain management.

Strong economic benefits of PainChek

Analysis of a Scottish Care Inspectorate model using validated healthcare costing data showed strong realised economic benefits of incorporating PainChek into Scotland’s aged care sector as a state-of-the-art pain management process.

The analysis estimates a ~£66 million (A$134m) cash-releasing benefit for Scotland Health based on implementing PainChek across 60% of Scottish care homes.

This represents ~23,000 residents over five years, delivering an estimated 10:1 return on investment for the Scottish healthcare system.

PainChek said the clinical and economic results were now under review by the Scottish government as validation and support for expanding PainChek across Scotland’s 38,000 aged care beds.

The company said evaluation of this project marked a significant step in the impact PainChek could deliver in supporting national strategies for pain management in dementia.

Support from largest Scottish client

PainChek’s largest client in Scotland Renaissance Care were part of the trial and operates 18 care homes across the country, caring for about 750 people.

It initially trialled PainChek through the Scottish Care Inspectorate pilot to evaluate the impact it has on the operations and outcomes for its residents.

Following this successful pilot, Renaissance Care has rolled PainChek out across all its services and have reported significant benefits.

The organisation said residents were now receiving better care as a result, and medications were being regularly reviewed and optimised with healthcare professionals.

Residents have become more engaged in meaningful activity, showing fewer instances of stress.

“We are now seeing some care homes getting fives and sixes in their inspections from the regulator because of the pain assessments and the residents overall wellbeing,” clinical quality manager at Renaissance Care Lauren Kenny said.

Success in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary pilot

In addition to aged care, PainChek has also successfully completed a pilot integrating with InterSystems’ TrakCare electronic care record platform at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

PainChek said the integration allowed seamless deployment across hospitals globally, streamlining documentation and improving communication between healthcare professionals.

The pilot is now entering phase two to assess use across specific wards, extending PainChek’s reach into the hospital sector.

“There are two key drivers to achieve government funding for new medical products, improving patient health and reducing healthcare costs,” CEO Philip Daffas said.

“The Scottish Care Inspectorate pilot has demonstrated that embedding PainChek into the aged care environment can achieve both.

He said the successful outcomes and strong data have significant value for PainChek’s expansion into the UK market and overseas.

“We also welcome the positive conclusion of the hospital pilot in Edinburgh and the global hospital market opportunities that can be leveraged with the InterSystems integration project.”

PainChek is continuing to advance new licence and global partnership opportunities, with revenue updates to be disclosed in future quarterly reports.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.