Trial Outcomes & Findings for Telehealth Therapy for Chronic Pain: Comparison of In-person vs. Video-administered ACT for Pain (NCT NCT01055639)

NCT ID: NCT01055639

Last Updated: 2016-08-12

Results Overview

The primary outcome measure for the proposed study is the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form Interference subscale (BPI; Cleeland \& Ryan, 1994). This 7-item scale, recommended by the IMMPACT group as a measure of functioning (Dworkin et al., 2005), measures the degree to which pain interferes with various aspects of life, including mobility, social activities, and mood. Scores range from 0 (least interference due to pain) to 10 (most interference due to pain).

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

PHASE2

Target enrollment

126 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

8 weeks

Results posted on

2016-08-12

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
In-person ACT
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Overall Study
STARTED
66
60
Overall Study
COMPLETED
45
31
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
21
29

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
In-person ACT
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Overall Study
Adverse Event
0
1
Overall Study
Lack of Efficacy
0
1
Overall Study
Lost to Follow-up
8
11
Overall Study
Protocol Violation
5
5
Overall Study
Withdrawal by Subject
8
11

Baseline Characteristics

Telehealth Therapy for Chronic Pain: Comparison of In-person vs. Video-administered ACT for Pain

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Total
n=126 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
55 Participants
n=5 Participants
54 Participants
n=7 Participants
109 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
6 Participants
n=7 Participants
17 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
10 Participants
n=7 Participants
21 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
55 Participants
n=5 Participants
50 Participants
n=7 Participants
105 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
8 Participants
n=7 Participants
19 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
55 Participants
n=5 Participants
52 Participants
n=7 Participants
107 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
19 Participants
n=5 Participants
16 Participants
n=7 Participants
35 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
38 Participants
n=5 Participants
33 Participants
n=7 Participants
71 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
5 Participants
n=7 Participants
10 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

The primary outcome measure for the proposed study is the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form Interference subscale (BPI; Cleeland \& Ryan, 1994). This 7-item scale, recommended by the IMMPACT group as a measure of functioning (Dworkin et al., 2005), measures the degree to which pain interferes with various aspects of life, including mobility, social activities, and mood. Scores range from 0 (least interference due to pain) to 10 (most interference due to pain).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Brief Pain Inventory-interference Subscale
5.3 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.4
5.8 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.3

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

The Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI; Cleeland \& Ryan, 1994) includes a 4-item pain severity subscale measuring the level of pain over the past week on average, at its worst, at its least, and currently. This measure is recommended by the IMMPACT group as a pain assessment tool (Dworkin et al., 2005). Scores range from 0 (least pain severity) to 10 (most pain severity).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Brief Pain Inventory-severity Subscale
5.2 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.7
5.7 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.5

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

The West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI; Kerns et al., 1985) contains 52 items forming 12 subscales. For this study, we used four subscales assessing various types of activities. Household Chores (5 items); Outdoor Work (5 items); Activities Away From Home (4 items); and Social Activities (4 items). The MPI has been used extensively in outcome research with heterogeneous samples of chronic pain patients, including veterans, and has demonstrated sensitivity to treatment change (Altmaier et al., 1992; Mikail et al., 1993). Individual items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 0-6, and subscales are scored by averaging items together. Therefore, the score for Part III, General Activity, is composed of an average of the 18 items in the Household Chores (5 items); Outdoor Work (5 items); Activities Away From Home (4 items); and Social Activities (4 items) subscales. The final score ranges from 0 (lowest level of activity) to 6 (highest level of activity).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory - Activity Subscales
2.4 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.0
2.2 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 0.9

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

6-item self-report measure of mental health-related quality of life. Subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12; Ware et al., 1994). This measure is widely used with populations with chronic disease. The Physical and Mental Component Summary scores correlate .91 and .92 with the corresponding scores derived from the SF-36, and 2-week test-retest reliability correlations were .89 and .76 (Ware et al., 1994). The Short Form Health Survey is recommended by the IMMPACT group (Dworkin et al., 2005). Scores range from 0 (lowest functioning) to 100 (highest functioning).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
SF-12 MCS
41.5 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 12.9
41.6 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 12.8

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

Physical health-related quality of life will be measured using the Physical Component Summary score of the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12; Ware et al., 1994). This measure is widely used with populations with chronic disease. The Physical and Mental Component Summary scores correlate .91 and .92 with the corresponding scores derived from the SF-36, and 2-week test-retest reliability correlations were .89 and .76 (Ware et al., 1994). The Short Form Health Survey is recommended by the IMMPACT group (Dworkin et al., 2005). Scores range from 0 (lowest functioning) to 100 (highest functioning).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
SF-12 PCS
32.6 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.3
30.9 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 7.2

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

The PHQ-9 is a multipurpose instrument for screening, diagnosing, monitoring and measuring the severity of depression. The PHQ-9 incorporates DSM-IV depression diagnostic criteria with other leading major depressive symptoms into a brief self-report tool. The tool rates the frequency of the symptoms which factors into the scoring severity index. Scores range from 0 (lowest level of depressive symptoms) to 27 (highest level of depressive symptoms).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
9.6 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.3
10.2 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.1

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

Anxiety will be assessed with the 20-item Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-Short Form (PASS-20; McCracken \& Dhingra, 2002). Pain anxiety captures fears patients associate with their symptoms, which are typically associated with the belief that their pain signals harm. High levels of pain anxiety compromise patient's activity levels, participation in rehabilitation, and performance on functional tests. The instrument is a valid and reliable measure of anxiety symptoms in pain populations (McCracken et al., 1996; Roelofs et al., 2004). The PASS-20 items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale and assess cognitive, escape/avoidance, fear, and physiological anxiety dimensions. Internal consistency is high and correlation between the short and long form is excellent (alpha=.81; r=.97). This measure has been recommended by the VA and demonstrated sensitivity to treatment in the pilot sample (National VA Pain Outcomes Working Group, 2003). Scores range from 0 (least anxiety) to 100 (most anxiety).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale - 20
39.8 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 24.4
43.5 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 23.0

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

The 17-item PTSD Checklist (Weathers et al., 1994) will be used to assess PTSD symptoms. In combat veterans, this questionnaire has high test-retest reliability (0.96) and validity as indicated by a kappa of 0.64 for diagnosis of PTSD using the SCID (Weathers et al., 1993). Scores range from 17 (low PTSD) to 85 (high PTSD).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
PTSD Checklist
42.7 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 17.2
42.5 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 17.3

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 8 weeks

The 19-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; Buysse et al., 1989) is the most commonly used measure of self-rated sleep quality, with good reliability (alpha = .83, test-retest = .85) and validity (kappa = 0.75) for distinguishing good and poor sleepers. A survey recently conducted by the IMMPACT group indicated that sleep is one of the domains most important to patients with chronic pain (Turk et al., 2008), and the PSQI is the scale most frequently used to evaluate sleep quality in studies of chronic pain patients (Cole et al., 2007). Scores range from 0 (good sleep) to 42 (poor sleep).

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 Participants
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 Participants
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
11.8 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.6
11.8 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.1

Adverse Events

In-person ACT

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Telehealth ACT

Serious events: 1 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Serious adverse events
Measure
In-person ACT
n=66 participants at risk
8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. In-Person ACT: 8 individual in-person sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Telehealth ACT
n=60 participants at risk
8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sessions were delivered via videoconferencing system. ACT is a psychotherapy intervention comprised of meditation, goal-setting, and behavior change. Telehealth ACT: 8 individual telehealth sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): includes mindfulness, values, and committed action
Psychiatric disorders
hospitalization
0.00%
0/66 • 8 weeks (duration of intervention)
1.7%
1/60 • Number of events 1 • 8 weeks (duration of intervention)

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Dr. Julie Wetherell

VA San Diego Healthcare System

Phone: 858-552-8585

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place