Online Psychology Program for Chronic Pain After Surgery

NCT ID: NCT06455345

Last Updated: 2025-07-08

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

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-20

Study Completion Date

2026-03-31

Brief Summary

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This project will evaluate the feasibility of a new fully self-guided online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) program entitled Advancing Online Psychology Tools for the Transitional Pain Service (ADOPT-TPS), developed on an online health application platform called Manage My Pain (MMP). The ACT program is designed to teach mindfulness skills and provide psychoeducation about post-surgical pain. The feasibility of the self-guided online program will be compared to a pre-existing psychologist-guided workshop that delivers the same program. It is anticipated that the self-guided online ACT program will be deemed feasible by participants.

Detailed Description

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The Transitional Pain Service (TPS) at Toronto General Hospital is a multidisciplinary treatment program that aims to prevent chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) and persistent opioid use after surgery. CPSP is a major public health concern impacting from 10% up to 70% of patients, depending on the type of surgery. Those experiencing CPSP are at higher risk for prolonged opioid use, which introduces challenges like addiction, misuse, and overdose. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychology intervention that is effective in reducing patients' risk of CPSP and opioid use. However, access to this intervention is currently limited to predominantly in-person, specialized hospital-based clinic settings like the TPS, which prioritize patients at highest risk for CPSP and often require physician referrals for quick access. There is a need for such treatment approaches to spread to other institutions and to be available for lower-risk post-surgery patients, yet the shortage of specialized pain psychologists creates a barrier to widespread dissemination. The current project will evaluate the feasibility of a novel fully self-guided online ACT intervention entitled Advancing Online Psychology Tools for the Transitional Pain Service (ADOPT-TPS), developed on a mobile health application platform called Manage My Pain (MMP). A randomized, controlled pilot feasibility trial will evaluate the efficacy of ADOPT-TPS by comparing it to a pre-existing psychologist-guided workshop. Once tested, this scalable, evidence-based online intervention can be easily implemented at institutions across Canada and beyond to address CPSP and opioid use without the need for specialized pain psychologists on staff.

Conditions

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Post-surgical Pain Pain, Acute Pain, Chronic Post-Surgical Pain, Chronic

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The present study will evaluate whether the self-guided online ADOPT-TPS tool is a the feasible and efficacious intervention compared to the psychologist-guided group workshop.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Caregivers Outcome Assessors
Only the participants and the research coordinator will know which group (self-guided vs. psychologist-guided) an individual participant will be randomly assigned to.

Study Groups

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Self-guided Online ACT

The intervention is a self-guided ACT program delivered on an online platform. The program is developed based on the psychologist-guided ACT group intervention for chronic pain and opioid use after surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Self-Guided Online ACT Program

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will be invited to access the ACT program on the Manage My Pain (MMP) app. Participants will follow the instructions in the app to complete the program in a self-paced manner. The program includes psychoeducational materials, guided mindfulness meditations, and self-reflection activities.

Psychologist-guided Online ACT

The psychologist-guided ACT group workshop is an evidence-based psychology intervention for chronic pain and opioid use after surgery.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Treatment As Usual

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be invited to join a one-session ACT group workshop guided by a psychologist. The session will take place virtually using video call software. The psychologist will guide participants through the workshop agenda, which will include psychoeducational material, guided mindfulness meditations, and partaking in voluntary discussions with other group members.

Interventions

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Self-Guided Online ACT Program

Participants will be invited to access the ACT program on the Manage My Pain (MMP) app. Participants will follow the instructions in the app to complete the program in a self-paced manner. The program includes psychoeducational materials, guided mindfulness meditations, and self-reflection activities.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Treatment As Usual

Participants will be invited to join a one-session ACT group workshop guided by a psychologist. The session will take place virtually using video call software. The psychologist will guide participants through the workshop agenda, which will include psychoeducational material, guided mindfulness meditations, and partaking in voluntary discussions with other group members.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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Psychologist-guided online ACT

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients who received a post-surgical referral to the TPS
* Patients who have access to a device that can connect to the Internet

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients who have received TPS psychology treatment
* Patients with a known history of serious mental illness (e.g., psychosis and/or active mania)
* Patients who have limited comprehension of English or comprehension deficits due to dementia
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

York University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Toronto General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University Health Network, Toronto

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Maxwell Slepian, PhD, C Psych

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Toronto General Hospital

Locations

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Toronto General Hospital- The Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

University Health Network- Toronto General Hospital

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Canada

Central Contacts

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Maxwell P Lead Clinical Health Psychologist, PhD, C Psych

Role: CONTACT

(416) 340-4800 ext. 4251

Hance Director of Pain Services, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

416-340-4800 ext. 2927

Facility Contacts

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Hance Clarke, MD, PhD

Role: primary

416-340-4800 ext. 4251

Jo Carroll, BSc

Role: backup

416-340-4800 ext. 3143

Maxwell Slepian, PhD, C Psych

Role: primary

416-340-4800 ext. 5278

Hance Clarke, MD, PhD

Role: backup

416-340-4800 ext. 6649

References

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Related Links

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https://managinglife.com

The home webpage for ManagingLife, the company that will host the ACT For My Pain intervention on the digital application (Manage My Pain).

Other Identifiers

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MSU-23-002

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

23-5934

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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