Development and Usability Testing of a Scalable Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Chronic Postsurgical Pain
Kristina Axenova · Anna Lomanowska · Tahir Janmohamed · Salman Hossain Saif · Ibrahim M. · Molly McCarthy · Joel Katz · Hance Clarke · Max Slepian
Overview
A scalable digital intervention for postsurgical pain
The study describes the development and initial usability testing of a fully self-guided digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention for people at risk of chronic postsurgical pain. The program adapts an established group workshop from Toronto General Hospital’s Transitional Pain Service for delivery through the Manage My Pain application.
Intervention design
The intervention contains four sequential 15-minute parts and an optional summary and reference section. It combines educational material, interactive activities, experiential exercises, and optional learning checks around the ACT Matrix.
Usability process
Development followed an iterative process informed by patients, clinicians, research staff, and application developers. Think-aloud sessions and retrospective interviews helped refine engagement, navigation, and content clarity.
Conclusion
The authors present the self-guided intervention as a scalable way to extend access in settings where specialized pain psychologists are limited. Further randomized controlled testing is planned to evaluate acceptability and efficacy.
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