Designing voice interfaces to support mindfulness-based pain management.
Sanjana Mendu, Sebrina L Doyle Fosco, Stephanie T. Lanza, Saeed Abdullah
Digital health 2023 DOI: 10.1177/20552076231204418 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Mindfulness program facilitators |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness-based stress reduction Chronic pain Smart speaker Voice interface |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Facilitators supported the use of a voice interface for MBSR home practice, particularly for individuals with limited motor function, and highlighted its perceived social presence to support sustained engagement. |
Abstract
Chronic pain is a critical public health issue affecting approximately 20% of the adult population in the United States. Given the opioid crisis, there has been an urgent focus on non-addictive pain management methods including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Prior work has successfully used MBSR for pain management. However, ensuring longitudinal engagement in MBSR practices remains a serious challenge. In this work, we explore the utility of a voice interface to support MBSR home practice. We interviewed 10 mindfulness program facilitators to understand how such a technology might fit in the context of the MBSR class and identify potential usability issues with our prototype. We then used directed content analysis to identify key themes and sub-themes within the interview data. Our findings show that facilitators supported the use of the voice interface for MBSR, particularly for individuals with limited motor function. Facilitators also highlighted the unique affordances of voice interfaces, including perceived social presence, to support sustained engagement. We demonstrate the acceptability of a voice interface to support home practice for MBSR participants among trained mindfulness facilitators. Based on our findings, we outline design recommendations for technologies aiming to provide longitudinal support for mindfulness-based interventions. Future work should further these efforts toward making non-addictive pain management interventions accessible and efficacious for a wide audience of users.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 19
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Participants' Experiences of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: “It Changed Me in Just about Every Way Possible” Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy June 10, 2009
- Web-Based Mindfulness Interventions for People With Physical Health Conditions: Systematic Review Journal of Medical Internet Research August 31, 2017
- Mindfulness for people with chronic pain: Factors affecting engagement and suggestions for programme optimisation Health Expectations March 12, 2023
- A Systematic Review of the Adherence to Home-Practice Meditation Exercises in Patients with Chronic Pain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health March 2, 2023
and 14 more in the library