Abstract
BackgroundPatients’ treatment expectations are a key factor in psychotherapy. Several studies have linked higher expectations to better treatment success. Therefore, we want to evaluate the impact of a targeted video-based intervention on patients’ expectations and the treatment success of inpatient rehabilitation.Methods/designAll patients who will be referred to inpatient psychosomatic rehabilitation in three clinics will receive a study flyer with information about how to log in to the study platform together with the usual clinic information leaflet. Patients will receive the study information and informed consent upon login and will be randomized into the intervention or the control group. The intervention group (n = 394) will get access to our virtual online clinic, containing several videos about inpatient rehabilitation, until their admission to inpatient rehabilitation. The control group (n = 394) will receive no special treatment preparation. Questionnaires will be given at study inclusion (T0), two weeks before admission to (T1), and at the end of (T2) inpatient rehabilitation. The primary outcome is the outcome expectancy measured with the Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire at T1. Secondary outcomes include treatment motivation, mental health, work ability, depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with and usage of the Internet platform.DiscussionWe expect the intervention group to benefit from the additional preparation concerning their outcome expectancy. If successful, this approach could be used in the future to enhance the efficacy of inpatient rehabilitation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02532881. Registered on 25 August 2015.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1417-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Patients’ treatment expectations are a key factor in psychotherapy
We expect the intervention group to benefit from the additional preparation concerning their outcome expectancy
Participants All patients referred to inpatient rehabilitation in one of the three cooperating clinics who are more than 18 years old are eligible for study participation
Summary
Patients’ expectations are known key factors in psychotherapy. Several studies have confirmed the influence of patients’ expectations on the therapy outcome. If our intervention proves to be effective, it could be used as a blueprint for a new preparation method for psychosomatic rehabilitants in Germany It could be used along with the usual written information every patient receives before his admission to inpatient rehabilitation. It is imaginable that the intervention can be adopted for other treatments, like psychooncology or orthopedic or cardiovascular diseases This trial will provide further insight into the process of preparing patients properly for psychosomatic rehabilitation, which is the most common inpatient psychotherapeutic treatment option in Germany. This is an important approach, against the background of an increasing number of people diagnosed with mental disorders in Germany.
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