NCT06455345

Online Psychology Program for Chronic Pain After Surgery

Advancing Online Psychology Tools for the Transitional Pain Service (ADOPT-TPS): Pilot Feasibility and Efficacy Randomized-Controlled Trial of a Scalable, Online Psychology Intervention for Post-Surgical Pain and Opioid Use

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 68 (actual)
• Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

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

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

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

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	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.
OTHER	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-01-20
• Primary completion: 2026-03-31
• Completion: 2026-03-31
• First posted: 2024-06-12
• Last updated: 2026-04-17

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Canada