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Contact Details

Phone
+64 4 832 3256
Email
hemakumar.devan@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Department of Medicine (Wellington)
Qualifications
BPT (Chennai) MPhty (Distn)(Otago) PhD (Otago)
Research summary
Chronic pain, Self-management, Behavioural Intervention Technologies, Knowledge Translation
Teaching
Undergraduate and postgraduate research supervision
Memberships

Leadership roles (Invited):

  • 2021 – current NZ representative to lead the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) – Young Pain Leaders Global Taskforce
  • 2018 – current Council member, NZ Pain Society (Lead patient advisory group establishment and social media communications)
  • 2020 – current Steering committee member, Pain@Otago Research Theme (Lead Early Career Research initiatives)
  • 2020 – current Management committee member, Division of Health Sciences, Otago Early-Mid Career Researchers’ Group (Lead Social Media and Science Communication initiatives)

Research

Dr Devan's primary research interest is to foster self-management support to empower people with persistent pain and their whānau (family and significant others).The programme has three main themes.

The first theme is a digital health programme (Pain BITS – Behavioural Intervention Technologies), to support self-management via technology, which involves co-creation of digital resources (website, apps and social media) by and for people living with persistent pain.

The second theme focuses on partnering with Māori, Pasifika and Asian communities to co-develop culturally responsive pain management services (online and in-person) to address inequities to pain management. As part of this theme, he is currently co-leading a project to develop a community-led pain support programme for Māori with pain.

The third theme aims to improve societal representations of people with pain using art-based integrated knowledge translation approaches (e.g. stories, illustrations and films).

Strategically, his goal is to address health inequities and improve health outcomes for people with persistent pain and their whānau.

Additional details

Regular reviewer for:

  • Disability and Rehabilitation
  • Prosthetics and Orthotics International
  • Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Journal of Medical and Internet Research
  • Physical Therapy Reviews
  • New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy

Publications

Fernandes, L. G., Davies, C., Jaye, C., Hay-Smith, J., & Devan, H. (2025). “We do not stop being Indigenous when we are in pain”: An integrative review of the lived experiences of chronic pain among Indigenous peoples. Social Science & Medicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117991 Journal - Research Other

Davies, C., Devan, H., Reid, S., Haribhai-Thompson, J., Hempel, D., Te Aho-White, I. J., & Te Morenga, L. (2025). “When you're in pain you do go into your shell”: A community-based pain management programme co-designed with Māori whānau to address inequities to pain management: A qualitative case study. Journal of Pain. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104760 Journal - Research Article

Bennett, E., Devan, H., Hale, L., & Gray, E. (2025). Evaluation of the quality and self-management related content of websites promoting physical activity engagement after myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery: A scoping review. Heart & Lung, 69, 94-110. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2024.09.015 Journal - Research Other

Kovanur Sampath, K., Darlow, B., Tumilty, S., Shillito, W., Fairs, E., Devan, H., & Thomson, O. P. (2024). “Disproportionate Olympic rings”: The usage of a biopsychosocial (BPS) framework of care when managing people with musculoskeletal pain by osteopaths in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A qualitative study. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.ijosm.2024.100728 Journal - Research Article

Devan, H., Perry, M. A., Davies, C., Dean, S., Dowell, A., Grainger, R., Gray, A., … Ingham, T., … Shipton, E. A., & Hale, L. A. (2024). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of an online-delivered group-based pain management programme in improving pain-related disability for people with persistent pain: A non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (iSelf-Help Trial). Proceedings of the New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS) Annual Scientific Meeting: Empowering Pain Management in New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.nzps2024.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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