Effectiveness and Implementation of a Digital Intervention for Pediatric Chronic Pain Co-designed With Patients

NCT ID: NCT05917626

Last Updated: 2025-12-15

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

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

195 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-05-05

Study Completion Date

2027-10-31

Brief Summary

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Children and adolescents with chronic pain often lack a proper diagnosis and treatment. Research has shown that, if left untreated, it usually doesn't resolve and continues through adulthood.

The goal of this multi-phase study is to co-develop (with patients), test, and implement a smartphone app called "Digital Solution for Pain in Adolescents" (Digital SPA) which can provide pain management resources to children with chronic pain and their parents, preventing future disability.

Participants will: participate in individual and group interviews, respond to questionnaires online and try a smartphone app.

Detailed Description

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Phase 1) Focus groups with patients, parents and clinicians (n = 5-6 each) will inform about unmet pain care needs, and provide a starting point for co-designing the intervention.

Phase 2) Content creation and usability testing will be based on the results of Phase 1 and the theory-driven development will follow the latest available evidence and the World Health Organization guidelines on the management of chronic pain in children. The intervention will use validated psychological techniques (particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) focused on improving functioning by teaching pain coping skills, such as: relaxation, goal setting, sleep management, behavioral activation, self-management of negative thoughts and emotions, and communication skills.

Phase 3) Effectiveness and Implementation study. Participants (n = 195) will be adolescents 12-17 years old with chronic pain admitted into any of 6 large hospitals in Spain and one of their parents.

Conditions

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Chronic Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

This study will employ a stepped wedge cluster randomized design in which hospitals are randomized sequentially to initiate the intervention. Prior to initiating patient recruitment, each of the 6 hospitals will be randomized to one of two waves in the stepped wedge design. During the non-exposure periods, patients will receive usual care from the hospital.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors
* Clinicians referring participants will be unaware of the study phase
* Outcomes will be assessed with an online survey

Study Groups

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Digital SPA

A psychological intervention for chronic pain in adolescents administered using an app co-created with patients.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Digital SPA

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A psychological digital intervention for chronic pain in adolescents, based on evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques. The intervention will be co-created with patients in a previous phase of the study, so the exact number or format of sessions and content has not been determined yet.

Usual Care

Participants assigned to this arm will receive usual care from their hospital.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Digital SPA

A psychological digital intervention for chronic pain in adolescents, based on evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques. The intervention will be co-created with patients in a previous phase of the study, so the exact number or format of sessions and content has not been determined yet.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adolescents age 12-17 years
* Has had non-oncologic chronic pain for at least 3 months (e.g., abdominal pain, headache or musculoskeletal pain)
* Has Internet access
* One parent is willing to participate (and both give consent for their child to participate)

Exclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of a comorbid serious health condition (e.g., cancer)
* Parent or child does not speak or read Spanish
* Active psychosis or suicidal ideation
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

17 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Malaga

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Rocio de la Vega de Carranza, PhD

"Ramón y Cajal" Researcher; Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Rocio de la Vega, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Malaga

Locations

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Hospital Materno Infantil Torrecardenas

Almería, Almería, Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Sant Joan de Déu

Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Materno Infantil Virgen de las Nieves

Granada, Granada, Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital infantil del Hospital Universitario La Paz

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucía

Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Materno Infantil del Hospital Regional Universitario

Málaga, Málaga, Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Spain

Central Contacts

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Rocio de la Vega, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+34634014362

Facility Contacts

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Moisés Leyva, MD

Role: primary

+34634014362

Iván Cano Cámara, MD

Role: primary

+34634014362

Susana Roldán, MD

Role: primary

+34634014362

Eduardo Fernández, PhD

Role: primary

+34634014362

Maria Luz Padilla, MD

Role: primary

+34634014362

María Cases, MD

Role: backup

Silvia Oliva, MD

Role: primary

+34634014362

María José Peláez, MD

Role: backup

References

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de la Vega R, Serrano-Ibanez ER, Ruiz-Parraga GT, Palermo TM, Wicksell R, Fernandez-Jimenez E, Oliva S, Roldan S, Monfort L, Pelaez MJ, Leyva Carmona M, Ramirez-Maestre C, Lopez-Martinez AE, Miro J, Esteve R. Protocol for a multi-phase, multi-center, real-world, hybrid effectiveness-implementation study of a digital intervention for pediatric chronic pain co-designed with patients (Digital SPA). Digit Health. 2023 Dec 19;9:20552076231219490. doi: 10.1177/20552076231219490. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38130799 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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PID2021-122885OA-I00

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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