Increasing Engagement in PTSD Treatment Through Patient Education and Patient Choice

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this program is to compare two different methods of matching a Veteran to a PTSD treatment.

Detailed Description
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious disorder that affects many Veterans who have had a traumatic experience. The VA offers several different types of treatment for PTSD. We are researching different ways to match a Veteran to a type of treatment. Participants in this study will will be randomly assigned to either a 40-minute session in which they will learn about PTSD treatments and select a preferred treatment or to a 40-minute assessment interview. Those participants assigned to the assessment interview will have the opportunity to work with their Trauma Recovery Program provider to determine a plan for their PTSD treatment.

Conditions
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Informed decision making
* Behavioral: Placebo session


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of combat-related PTSD Newly enrolled in Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) at the Michael E. DeBakey VA medical center TRP provider approval Exclusion Criteria: Previous participation in TRP treatment for PTSD
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: IDM intervention<br>Will receive a 40 minute intervention session with a clinician, learning about PTSD treatment options and choosing a preferred treatment. | Behavioral: Informed decision making<br>* 40 minute session with a clinician. Participants will learn about the available PTSD treatment options and will be given a decision aid with more information.<br>|
| Placebo Comparator: Treatment as usual plus placebo session<br>Will work with provider to select a treatment plan and will receive a 40 minute session without IDM intervention. | Behavioral: Placebo session<br>* Participant will complete clinician-administered measures in a 40-minute session.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treatment participation | Trauma Recovery Program service utilization as assessed by chart review. | 4 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treatment satisfaction | Assessed via self-report measures (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire) and semi-structured interview | 4 months | 
| Change in PTSD severity | Assessed by the PCL-M at baseline and 4 month follow-up | Baseline and 4 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD Treatment, Decision making, Veterans