Facial recognition tech for pain management trialled in Bedfordshire

Facial recognition technology is being trialled at residential and nursing homes in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes to explore if it can provide better care to patients and reduce reliance on medication.

Interim results from a 12-month pilot project in central Bedfordshire, launched by the Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme team at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System (BLMK ICS) in February 2024, have shown benefits of using the PainChek app, which assesses pain levels in vulnerable adults.

Painchek helps manage pain based on its recognition of facial expressions, which is useful for residents who are not able to express themselves verbally due to illness or disability.

Seven care homes in central Bedfordshire participated in the pilot, and initial results show that in the first three months, 39 users across six care homes conducted 152 assessments, identifying 124 instances of pain. The seventh care home started the pilot later so equivalent figures were not available.

In the first two months, the quantity of pain medication used across four homes fell by 55%, suggesting that the app may provide more accurate and consistent pain assessments.

Patricia Coker, senior responsible officer on the Digitising Social Care programme and head of integration (health and adult social care), said: “PainChek supports effective management of pain, and has been shown to improve experience of care and promote better quality of life for our residents.

“We were keen to assess its viability, scalability and impact for our residents and care providers.”

The app is has now been rolled out to a further 1,000 residents across the area, following interest from care providers and healthcare staff to expand the offering.

Clare Steward, Digitising Social Care Programme director, said: “It’s already clear that PainChek is helping our care providers to respond more effectively to the needs of their residents, and reducing the use of medication.

“The pilot has now been extended across BLMK to a further 1,000 residents, and an in-depth evaluation at the end of the 12-month pilot will help us decide whether to roll it out further.”

The Digitising Social Care Programme at BLMK ICS was awarded £1.1 million in April 2024 from NHS England’s Adult Social Care Technology Fund to provide PainChek and Robopets, after making a joint application for the funding with the University of Hertfordshire and Health Innovation East.