Clinical trial NCT03151083: Implementing and Evaluating Computer-Based Interventions for Mental Health: Testing an Implementation Strategy for VA Outpatient Care
Official title: Implementing and Evaluating Computer-Based Interventions for Mental Health (CDA 14-420)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Insomnia
Keywords: Health Technology
Internet-Based Psychotherapy
self-care
Primary Care
Mental Health
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
Collaborators: name: VA Connecticut Healthcare System
name: US Department of Veterans Affairs
First posted: 2017-05-12
Enrollment: 77
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SEQUENTIAL
Intervention model description: The investigators will employ a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness study design through which the investigator will primarily test the effectiveness of the experimental implementation strategy the investigators are developing and secondarily evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the internet-based self-help program for insomnia. The investigators will use a quasi-experimental pre-/post-cohort design whereby the program will initially be implemented using an enhanced usual care (control) strategy, followed by implementation using the experimental implementation strategy. The program's association with clinical response will be evaluated in an uncontrolled pre-/post-format.
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: Internet-based self-help programs are personalized, self-guided interventions delivered over a computer, mobile device, or other Internet platform and focused on improving knowledge, awareness, or behavior change for a mental or physical health problem. Through previous and on-going projects at VACT, the investigators are developing a general strategy for implementing Internet-based Self-help programs in VA primary care, specifically among Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) and Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) providers. An implementation strategy is defined as a systematic intervention to integrate evidence-based health innovations into usual care. The strategy the investigators propose to test consists of four core components: (1) a clinical intermediary for patient support, (2) provider/staff facilitation and education, (3) patient education, and (4) stepped-care for those requiring additional treatment. In the proposed study, the investigators will compare this strategy to a low intensity (control) strategy with respect to the implementation related outcomes of patent engagement, provider adoption through referral to the program, and patient completion, over a six-month active implementation period. The investigators will target the very common clinical problem of insomnia and use the SHUTiTM program, a 6-week self-guided program utilizing standard cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques for the treatment of chronic insomnia. The program has been shown to improve insomnia severity and other sleep related outcomes in a number of controlled trials. The clinical effectiveness of SHUTiTM will be evaluated using clinical insomnia outcomes obtained on all patients enrolled over the 6-month active implementation periods. The purpose this study is to evaluate the preliminary (1) effectiveness of an implementation strategy for Internet-based Self-help Interventions and (2) clinical outcomes of a specific Internet-based self-help program for insomnia, SHUTiTM, in VA Connecticut outpatient primary care. The primary hypothesis is that the experimental implementation strategy the investigators are developing, relative to a control strategy, will result in higher rates of program engagement by patients, greater provider adoption through referral to the program, greater program completion, and improved patient insomnia outcomes.

Detailed description: Objective: The purpose this study is to evaluate the preliminary (1) effectiveness of an implementation strategy for Internet-based Self-help Interventions and (2) clinical outcomes of a specific Internet-based self-help program for insomnia, SHUTiTM, in VA Connecticut outpatient primary care. The primary hypothesis is that the experimental implementation strategy the investigators are developing, relative to a control strategy, will result in higher rates of program engagement by patients, greater provider adoption through referral to the program, greater program completion, and improved patient insomnia outcomes.

Research Design: The investigators will employ a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study design through which the investigators will primarily test the effectiveness of the implementation strategy, while secondarily evaluating the clinical effectiveness of the SHUTiTM program. The investigators will use a quasi-experimental pre-/post-cohort design whereby SHUTiTM will initially be implemented using a low-intensity (control) strategy, followed by implementation using the experimental strategy. The SHUTiTM program's association with clinical response will be evaluated in an uncontrolled pre-/post-format.

Methodology: Internet-based self-help programs are personalized, self-guided interventions delivered over a computer, mobile device, or other Internet platform and focused on improving knowledge, awareness, or behavior change for a mental or physical health problem. Through previous and on-going projects at VACT, the investigators are developing a general strategy for implementing Internet-based Self-help programs in VA primary care, specifically among Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) and Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) providers. An implementation strategy is defined as a systematic intervention to integrate evidence-based health innovations into usual care. The strategy the investigators propose to test consists of four core components: (1) a clinical intermediary for patient support, (2) provider/staff facilitation and education, (3) patient education, and (4) stepped-care for those requiring additional treatment. The investigators' currently approved protocol (#0002) involves interviewing VA providers, administrators, and staff in order to expand and modify the components of this strategy. In the proposed study, the investigators will compare this strategy to a low intensity (control) strategy with respect to the implementation related outcomes of patent engagement, provider adoption through referral to the program, and patient completion, over a six-month active implementation period. Use of the program will continue and implementation outcomes will be gathered over an additional one-year sustainment phase. The investigators will target the very common clinical problem of insomnia and use the SHUTiTM program, a 6-week self-guided program utilizing standard cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques for the treatment of chronic insomnia. The program has been shown to improve insomnia severity and other sleep related outcomes in a number of controlled trials. The clinical effectiveness of SHUTiTM will be evaluated using clinical insomnia outcomes obtained on all patients enrolled over the 6-month active implementation periods.

Impact/Significance: The development and testing of evidence-based implementation strategies for Internet-based self-help programs in VA outpatient care is essential given that (1) there is an increasing number of Internet-based self-help programs providing evidence-based treatment for a variety of mental and behavioral health disorders, (2) VA has committed to improving access to care, especially evidence-based and self-care resources, and (3) there is a Congressional mandate that VA implement Internet-based care. This will be first controlled trial of an implementation strategy for Internet-based self-help programs in a VA primary care (PACT/PCMHI) context.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients Receiving care from a VA Connecticut West Haven PACT/PCMHI Provider
* Diagnosed with insomnia lasting 3 months by the PACT provider, as evidenced by referral by the provider for access to the SHUTiTM program
* Able to provide valid informed consent, as evidenced by answering questions indicating their understanding of the content of the Informed Consent Document
* Willing to participate in an internet-based self-help program for insomnia after the access to and requirements of the program are explained to them
* English-speaking (The SHUTiTM program is only available in English)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Evidence of acute psychiatric decompensation requiring inpatient admission or emergency department services within the last month, including suicidality, homicidally, mania, or psychotic decompensation.
* Evidence of a conservator of person either verbally reported by the patient or upon inspection of the medical record.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Program Engagement: Completion of the First Program Module
timeFrame: 3 weeks following subject enrollment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Program Completion
timeFrame: 10 Weeks following subject enrollment
measure: Provider Adoption
timeFrame: Over each 8-month active implementation Phase
measure: Insomnia Severity Index
timeFrame: At enrollment and 10 weeks following enrollment.
Other outcomes:
measure: Beck Depression Inventory
timeFrame: At enrollment and 10 weeks following enrollment
measure: Sedative-Hypnotic Medication Use
timeFrame: At enrollment and 10 weeks following enrollment
Locations:
city: West Haven
country: United States
facility: VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT
state: Connecticut
Study officials:
affiliation: VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus, West Haven, CT
name: Eric Hermes, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: