HealthSaaS partners with End the Pain Project and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)

July 8, 2010 - PRLog -- HealthSaaS in cooperation with Dr. Beth Darnall of OHSU and End the Pain Project founders Madeleine Anderson and Moira Judith Mann designed this service to improve global reduction of phantom limb pain for amputees. Amputee caregivers and amputees themselves can easily track their pain and Mirror Therapy progress utilizing this online treatment management PHR service. Use of this internet based service enables doctors from any country to collaborate on a patient’s treatment regimen, progress and quality of life changes.

https://phr.endthepainproject.org

Phantom pain sensations are described as perceptions that an individual experiences relating to a limb or an organ that is not physically part of the body. Limb loss is a result of either removal by amputation or congenital limb deficiency. Sensations are recorded most frequently following the amputation of an arm or a leg, but may also occur following the removal of a breast or an internal organ. Phantom limb pain is the feeling of pain in an absent limb or a portion of a limb. The pain sensation varies from individual to individual.

There is a simple and effective treatment for amputees suffering "phantom limb pain," using a simple inexpensive mirror.

Here's how it works: The patient sits on a flat surface with his or her remaining leg straight out and then puts a 6-foot mirror lengthwise facing the limb. The patient moves the leg, flexing it, and watches the movement in the mirror. The reflection creates the illusion of two legs moving together. The mirror tricks the brain into "seeing" the amputated leg, overriding mismatched nerve signals.

By studying these illusions, neuroscientists and psychologists are learning more about how the brain handles the information supplied by the senses to conjure our perception of the world. Insights from the research have already prompted new approaches for helping stroke patients recover use of frozen limbs and for ameliorating chronic pain syndromes.

The ultimate goal of mirror therapy is to correct misrepresentations in the body map that develop when an injury or loss of limb occurs. In fact, this is what is thought to cause phantom pain associated with losing an arm, leg, or other body part, particularly if the part was affected by pain before its removal. The theory is that the brain records or remembers the pain in that specific area and continues to send out nerve signals, fully expecting to receive some back in return. In other words, in the absence of experiencing true physical sensations in the area, the brain resorts to “filling in the blanks” based on the misperception that the missing body part is still intact.

Beth Darnall states “This project is exciting because it gives patients more control over their pain and their health.  Patients can now chart how their pain changes over time as they are doing mirror therapy.  It’s a great tool for patients.  It also helps doctors and therapists to better understand the details of a patient’s phantom pain, and to see their treatment response plotted over time.  The best part is that patients and multiple healthcare providers can access any patient’s information from any computer in any city.  Literally, this is a portable health record. This collaboration marks one important step toward revolutionizing the way phantom pain is treated.”

http://www.bethdarnall.com

Madeleine Anderson and Moira Judith Mann states “the technology that HealthSaaS has developed to meet the needs of patients and clinicians is an invaluable tool for tracking the positive effects of mirror therapy for amputees.”

http://www.endthepainproject.org

Dr. Robert Tolar, President of Health SaaS, Inc. states "We are honored to work with OHSU and End the Pain Project. By working in partnership with these two outstanding organizations we can help make a positive contribution to the lives of thousands of pain sufferers worldwide.

About HealthSaaS
The HealthSaaS team is comprised of Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) leaders that have been developing patient and clinician integrated solutions for over fifteen years. HealthSaaS specializes in web based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, mobile applications, Telehealth support tools and HealthVault connectivity.

HealthSaaS is building web-based disease and condition specific Personal Health Record (PHR) solutions including PainPHR, DiabetesPHR, BreastcancerPHR and SportsmedPHR. Each PHR has its own unique attributes as every condition or disease has specific elements that need to be tracked and managed. Solutions for the web, mobile devices, integrated medical hardware devices and private labeled Provider Portals are available for every PHR.

HealthSaaS PHRs facilitate better communication between patients and their healthcare providers through account file sharing or secure Provider Portals. Patient driven report data will help providers identify both effective and ineffective treatments and medications. Healthcare providers may then make treatment and medication modifications to improve efficacy and provide patients with a more consistent and improved quality of life.

HealthSaaS Consulting Services (HSC) offers custom development and integration services to enable and support research studies and clinical trials. HSC also offers Microsoft HealthVault connectivity services to device manufacturers and software companies. HSC assists physicians with reviewing, choosing, and implementing meaningful use tools that will ensure reimbursement from the ARRA healthcare stimulus-funding bill passed on February 17, 2009.

HealthSaaS partners with some of the most respected names in healthcare as well as technology companies leading the Health 2.0 movement. Together we are driving innovation in healthcare and wellness applications.

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