Abstract
Background: A growing body of evidence supports the potential effectiveness of electronic health (eHealth) interventions inmanaging chronic pain. However, research on the needs and preferences of patients with chronic pain in relation to eHealthinterventions is scarce. Eliciting user input in the development of eHealth interventions may be a crucial step toward developingmeaningful interventions for patients for potentially improving treatment outcomes.Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of patients with chronic pain with regard to information and communicationtechnology, understand how an eHealth intervention can support the everyday needs and challenges of patients with chronic pain,and identify possible facilitators and barriers for patients’ use of an eHealth pain management intervention.Methods: Twenty patients living with chronic pain and five spouses participated in individual interviews. Semistructuredinterview guides were used to explore participants’ needs, experiences, and challenges in daily life as well as their informationand communication technology experiences and preferences for eHealth support interventions. Spouses were recruited andinterviewed to gain additional insight into the patients’ needs. The study used qualitative thematic analysis.Results: The participants were generally experienced technology users and reported using apps regularly. They were mainly infavor of using an eHealth self-management intervention for chronic pain and considered it a potentially acceptable way of gatheringknowledge and support for pain management. The participants expressed the need for obtaining more information and knowledge,establishing a better balance in everyday life, and receiving support for improving communication and social participation. Theyprovided suggestions for the eHealth intervention content and functionality to address these needs. Accessibility, personalization,and usability were emphasized as important elements for an eHealth support tool. The participants described an ideal eHealth