Telehealth for Pain and Unhealthy Drinking Among PLWH

NCT ID: NCT05503173

Last Updated: 2025-06-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

385 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-03-03

Study Completion Date

2026-05-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This randomized controlled trial is a between-groups design to compare the Motivational and Cognitive Behavioral Management for Alcohol and Pain (MCBMAP) Intervention to a Brief Advice and Information Control condition.

Two-hundred and fifty participants who have HIV with moderate or greater chronic pain will be randomized for the trial. Recruitment will take place through digital media. A unique feature of this intervention trial is that most of the procedures will be conducted remotely which will minimize barriers of transportation and time for participants. Consent and baseline assessment will be completed remotely. Following baseline assessment, participants will complete two weeks of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess alcohol use, chronic pain, physical function and mechanisms of behavior change for alcohol and pain management. Following the two-week phase, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control condition and meet the interventionist through videoconferencing. Participants will complete outcome assessment measures at 3- and 6-months post-baseline. Following the 3-month outcome assessment, participants will complete another two weeks of EMA.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

HIV Chronic Pain Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Motivational and Cognitive-Behavioral Management for Alcohol and Pain Intervention (MCBMAP)

Participants randomized to this arm will receive MCBMAP which utilizes a self-regulation framework to integrate evidence-based approaches for chronic pain and unhealthy drinking.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

MCBMAP

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

MCBMAP integrates motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive-behavioral skill training interventions for unhealthy drinking with cognitive-behavioral and self- management approaches for chronic pain. The intervention is delivered through internet-based videoconferencing and supplemented with web-based content to support the intervention. The initial treatment session provides a rationale for addressing alcohol and pain together in the context of HIV management, and initiates MI related to alcohol use. Participants receive 6 additional treatment sessions over the subsequent weeks.

Brief Advice and Information

Participants randomized to this arm will be provided treatment as usual for their conditions.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Brief Advice and Information

Intervention Type OTHER

Through videoconferencing an interventionist will provide participants psychoeducation about the effects of alcohol and pain on HIV symptoms, advice/recommendations to reduce alcohol use, and a list of local treatment resources for alcohol and chronic pain.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

MCBMAP

MCBMAP integrates motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive-behavioral skill training interventions for unhealthy drinking with cognitive-behavioral and self- management approaches for chronic pain. The intervention is delivered through internet-based videoconferencing and supplemented with web-based content to support the intervention. The initial treatment session provides a rationale for addressing alcohol and pain together in the context of HIV management, and initiates MI related to alcohol use. Participants receive 6 additional treatment sessions over the subsequent weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Brief Advice and Information

Through videoconferencing an interventionist will provide participants psychoeducation about the effects of alcohol and pain on HIV symptoms, advice/recommendations to reduce alcohol use, and a list of local treatment resources for alcohol and chronic pain.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Treatment as usual

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Able to confirm HIV diagnosis, via visual evidence of antiretroviral (ART) medication bottle or medical record presented to study staff over Zoom.
* Engaged in unhealthy drinking, defined as:
* \>7 drinks for women / \> 14 drinks for men per week.
* OR ≥ 3 drinks for women / ≥4 drinks for men on one occasion in the past month.
* Experiencing moderate or greater chronic pain (4 or greater on the numerical pain rating scale) for at least 3 months.
* Own a smart phone.
* Lives in the USA.
* Has a US mailing address.

Exclusion Criteria

* History of bipolar, schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia per self report.
* Unstable dose of psychoactive medication for pain or alcohol/substance use \[i.e., if on medication, participant has not been on same dose for least 2 months\]
* History of withdrawal-related seizures or delirium tremens
* Current non-pharmacological treatment for alcohol use disorder or chronic pain
* Acute life-threatening illness that requires treatment or intend to have surgery for a pain-related condition in the next 6-months.
* Current cancer-related pain
* Unable to provide one or more individuals for follow-up contact
* Individual who is unwilling to provide their sex at birth
* Limited or non-readers
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Boston University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Tibor P Palfai, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Boston Medical Center, Psychiatry; BU Psychological & Brain Sciences

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Charles River Campus, Boston University, Psychology Department- remote study

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Tibor P Palfai, PhD

Role: CONTACT

(617) 353-9345

Kara Magane, MS

Role: CONTACT

(617) 358-1369

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Kara Magane, MS

Role: primary

617-358-1369

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Palfai TP, Bernier LB, Kratzer MP, Magane KM, Fielman S, Otis JD, Heeren TC, Winter MR, Stein MD. Integrated telehealth intervention to reduce chronic pain and unhealthy drinking among people living with HIV: protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2024 Sep 5;19(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s13722-024-00493-3.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39238059 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

1P01AA029546-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

H-42405

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Multi-Component Breath Alcohol Intervention
NCT06124898 ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING NA
Social Media Intervention for Risky Drinking
NCT07251192 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA