NCT06302868

Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Clinic for the Treatment of Phobias

Doxy.me VR vs. Telemental Health-Based Exposure Therapy

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of South Florida · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled efficacy trial comparing the delivery of exposure therapy via a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic (Doxy.me VR) vs. standard telemental health (TMH) to adults with intense fear of dogs, snakes, and/or spiders. The secondary purpose is to preliminarily examine the efficacy of using Doxy.me VR vs. TMH in reducing phobia severity.

Detailed description

This study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled efficacy trial comparing the delivery of exposure therapy via a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic (Doxy.me VR) vs. standard telemental health (TMH) to adults with intense fear of dogs, snakes, and/or spiders. This study will use feasibility randomized controlled efficacy trial design. This single-site trial will include up to 60 adults with self-reported fear of dogs, snakes, and/or spiders who will be randomly assigned via the REDCap Randomization Module using a 1:1 allocation ratio to receive 12 sessions of exposure therapy over the course of 3 months via standard telemental health (TMH; n=15) vs. Doxy.me VR (n=15), a telemedicine-based virtual reality clinic.

Conditions

• Arachnophobia
• Cynophobia
• Ophidiophobia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Telemedicine Exposure Therapy Using Photos and Videos	Participants will complete 12 60-minute exposure therapy sessions using photos/videos and progress to in vivo exposures.
BEHAVIORAL	Telemedicine-Based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy	Participants will complete 12 60-minute exposure therapy sessions in a Virtual Reality Clinic using Virtual Reality stimuli and progress to in vivo exposures.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-10-03
• Primary completion: 2024-08-01
• Completion: 2024-08-01
• First posted: 2024-03-12
• Last updated: 2024-03-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States