None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The project aims to evaluate the acceptability and clinical efficacy of an online Pain Program Management program, 'Reboot' online. And to examine the moderators and mediators of change during the Reboot program. Up to 100 people with chronic pain will be randomly assigned to either the active treatment group or a Treatment as Usual (TAU) control group. The treatment group will commence the Reboot program immediately, whereas the TAU group will commence once the treatment group has completed and a 3 month follow-up period has been completed. The efficacy of the Reboot program will be determined by comparing the pain severity, disability and interference levels of the two groups at the time the treatment group completes treatment. Mediation analyses will be used to explore the role of variables that may influence positive change.
Interventions
The internet-delivered Reboot Online program contains 8 lessons over
16 weeks delivering 'self-management' techniques in order to manage chronic pain better. The 'self-management' techniques are based on the components of a multi-disciplinary pain management program combining psychological cognitive behaviour therapy and a physical therapy component. Participants will learn skills to manage their pain based on these components, for example Pacing through a graded exercise program - the physical
The internet-delivered Reboot Online program contains 8 lessons over 16 weeks delivering 'self-management' techniques in order to manage chronic pain better. The 'self-management' techniques are based on the components of a multi-disciplinary pain management program combining psychological cognitive behaviour therapy and a physical therapy component. Participants will learn skills to manage their pain based on these components, for example Pacing through a graded exercise program - the physical therapy component - alongside psychological skills and techniques such as Activity Scheduling, Thought Challenging and Stress Reduction. One lesson will be completed every 14 days (it will become available after the preceding lesson has been completed, with a minimum of 5 days between lessons). The participant does not have to complete the whole lesson in one sitting. Each lesson will take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete. Participants will access summaries after each lesson which contain homework exercises - this entails the participant practicing and implementing the skills that have been covered within the lesson content.The participant can also optionally view videos of physical exercises, expert talks and extra resources. There is no specific time requirement for the homework tasks but it is recommended that the participants spend roughly 3-4 hours per week re-reading the lesson content and resources, reviewing the homework summaries and practicing the skills in the program. All participants will receive email contact from a clinician after the first two lessons then as required. The participant is able to contact a clinician via telephone or email throughout the program - they will have access to a registered psychologist, physiotherapist, anesthetist and psychiatrist. The participant completes a measure of psychological distress before each lesson and if their scores increase by one or more standard deviation the clinician is automatically alerted and initiates contact with the participant by phone or email. Strategies used to improve adherence to intervention protocols and procedures for monitoring adherence include: automated email reminders, monitoring the downloading of homework and videos, collection of data on how long participants spent reading the lessons and practicing the skills.
Sponsors
St Vincent's Hospital
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
*Self-identified as experiencing persistent pain for more than 3 months. *Meet criteria for chronic pain. *Resident in Australia. *18 years and over. *Has access to a computer, internet and a printer. *Prepared to provide name, phone number and address of local general practitioner. *If taking medication, must have been taking it for at least 3 months. *Pain must have been assessed by a doctor within the last 3 months. *Willing to provide informed consent *Fluent in written and spoken English
Exclusion criteria
*Has not experienced pain for at least 3 months *Has impending medical procedures scheduled within the next 6 months. *Pain has not been assessed by a doctor in the last 3 months. *Actively suicidal. *Currently experiencing a psychotic mental illness or bipolar disorder. *Not fluent in English (written and spoken). *Currently experiencing severe depression symptoms *Completed a group-based pain management program within the past 6 months *Not willing to provide local GP contact details.
Outcome results
None listed