A digital health intervention to support patients with chronic pain during prescription opioid tapering: a pilot randomised controlled trial
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
Introduction: Recent changes in opioid prescribing guidelines have led to an increasing number of patients with chronic pain being recommended to taper. However, opioid tapering can be challenging, and many patients require support. Objectives: We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a codesigned digital health intervention to support patients with chronic pain during voluntary prescription opioid tapering. Methods: In a pilot randomised controlled trial, participants received a psychoeducational video and 28 days of text messages (2 SMS/day) in addition to their usual care (intervention) or usual care alone (control). The feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of the intervention were evaluated. The primary outcome was opioid tapering self-efficacy. Secondary outcomes were pain intensity and interference, anxiety and depression symptom severity, pain catastrophising, and pain self-efficacy. Results: Of 28 randomised participants, 26 completed the study (13 per group). Text message delivery was high (99.2%), but fidelity of video delivery was low (57.1%). Most participants rated the messages as useful, supportive, encouraging, and engaging; 78.5% would recommend the intervention to others; and 64.2% desired a longer intervention period. Tapering self-efficacy (Cohen d = 0.74) and pain self-efficacy ( d = 0.41) were higher, and pain intensity ( d = 0.65) and affective interference ( d = 0.45) were lower in the intervention group at week 4. Conclusion: First evidence supports the feasibility, acceptability, and potentially efficacy of a psychoeducational video and SMS text messaging intervention to support patients with chronic pain during voluntary prescription opioid tapering. Definitive trials with longer intervention duration are warranted.
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Cites
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- Authors
- Gholamrezaei, A., Magee, M. R., McNeilage, A. G., Dwyer, L., Sim, A., Ferreira, M. L., Darnall, B. D., Brake, T., Aggarwal, A., Craigie, M., Hollington, I., Glare, P., & Ashton-James, C. E.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Consumer Advisory Group, Painaustralia, Deakin, Victoria, Australia
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Ashton-James, Claire E.
- ORCID
- Venue
- PAIN Reports
- Published
- 2024-02-12
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- e1128
- ISSN
- 2471-2531 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10863948
- OpenAlex
- W4391754397
- Cited by
- 8
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 2.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- PAIN Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- American Psychological Association
- Ernest Heine Family Foundation
- University of Sydney
- National Institutes of Health (2020-2021)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (K24DA053564)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Keywords
- chronic pain, digital health interventions, text messaging, pain self-efficacy, pain intensity, pain interference, pain catastrophizing, anxiety and depression, opioid prescribing guidelines, feasibility and acceptability
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