Higher rates of
treatment completion and satisfaction with minimal clinician contact per
participant were observed with remote-delivered pain management programs, given
in either workbook or online formats.
Dear BF and colleagues compared a remote-delivered pain management program, the Pain Course, when delivered in online and workbook formats in a randomized control trial. The study included 178 patients assigned to one of the 2 groups: (1) an Internet Group (n=84) who were given secure accounts to the program in an online format; or (2) a Workbook Group (n=94) who were mailed workbook versions of the program. The content of both the programs was similar and consisted 5 core lessons. The participants were encouraged to work through over an 8-week period, according to a prescribed timetable. All the participants were provided with weekly contact with a clinical psychologist through email and telephone throughout the program.
Significant improvements (avg. improvement) were seen in both the groups, in levels of disability (PDI: 16% vs 24%; RMDQ: 12% vs 15%), anxiety (GAD-7: 36% vs 26%), and depression (PHQ-9: 36% vs 36%) immediately post-treatment. Further improvements were observed in disability levels to 3-month follow-up, and improvements across the other primary outcomes were maintained until 12-month follow-up. High treatment completion rates and levels of satisfaction were reported in both the groups, and both groups required a similarly small amount of clinician contact per participant (M=74.85 minutes; SD=41.03).
These results highlight the public health potential of
remote-delivered pain management programs, delivered in either workbook or
online formats, as methods of increasing access to pain management.
The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain
The pain course: a randomized controlled trial comparing a remote-delivered chronic pain management program when provided in online and workbook formats
Dear BF et. al.
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