Using a mobile app to track pain in musculoskeletal disease patients
Official title: The Importance of Ecological Momentary Assessment to Capture the Whole Patient's Symptoms Experience in Musculo-skeletal Conditions
Run by Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona · NCT06283199 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether using a mobile app to track pain and daily activities can help people with musculoskeletal diseases understand their symptoms better.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 1500 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Bologna and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 6, 2021 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2027 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | September 11, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06283199 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are symptomatic adults over 18 years old who can use a smartphone and have a confirmed diagnosis of musculoskeletal disease.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients without symptoms of musculoskeletal injury or those with other diseases causing joint pain may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study involves patients using a mobile application to record their pain and functional status twice daily over a two-month period. Patients will also attend follow-up visits after one month and at the end of the two months to retrospectively assess their pain and function from the previous month. The goal is to compare real-time pain reports with retrospective evaluations to better understand symptom patterns in musculoskeletal diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to more accurate assessments of pain and function in patients with musculoskeletal diseases, improving treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: While the use of mobile applications for symptom tracking is gaining traction, this specific approach of comparing real-time and retrospective assessments is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Symptomatic patients * Patients able to give informed consent and to follow the protocol of the study (i.e. able to use a smartphone) * Patients \>18 years * BMI \<35 and \>18.5 * Patients with a smartphone with Android or iOS as operative systems Exclusion Criteria: * Patients unable to follow the protocol of the study (i.e. unable to use a smartphone, not owning a smartphone or unwilling to download or use the application) * Patients with a diagnosis of a musculoskeletal injury but without symptoms * Patients without a radiological examination confirming the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disease * Patients with planned surgery in the following 60 days * Pregnant or lactating woman * Patients with other diseases causing pain in the involved joint (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis or other rheumatologic diseases). * Surgical treatment in the last year and intra-articular injection in the last 6 months
Where it's running
-
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli
Bologna, Italy Recruiting -
EOC - Orthopaedics and Traumatology Service
Lugano, Switzerland Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Christian Candrian, MD
- Email: RicercaOrtopedia.ORL@eoc.ch
- Phone: 00419117029
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.