Telehealth-delivered Interventions Research Articles

Comparing cognitive behavioral therapy and social prescribing in patients with loneliness on long-term opioid therapy to reduce opioid misuse: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPatients with chronic pain on opioids frequently experience loneliness, which is associated with poorer health outcomes and higher risk for opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. Given that almost half of opioids are prescribed in primary care, a critical need exists for the development and testing of interventions to reduce loneliness in primary care patients at risk for opioid misuse. Cognitive behavioral therapy and social prescribing have been shown to be efficacious in reducing loneliness and improving outcomes in other populations but have not been tested in patients at risk for substance use disorder. The overall objective of our study is to reduce opioid misuse and opioid use disorder by addressing loneliness in patients on long-term opioid therapy in real-world primary care settings.MethodsWe will conduct a 3-arm pragmatic, randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of two group-based, telehealth-delivered interventions with treatment as usual: (1) cognitive behavioral therapy to address maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors around social connection and (2) a social prescribing intervention to connect participants with social opportunities and develop supportive social networks. Our primary outcome is loneliness as measured by the UCLA Loneliness Scale and our dependent secondary outcome is opioid misuse as measured by the Common Opioid Misuse Measure. We will recruit 102 patients on long-term opioid therapy who screen positive for loneliness from 2 health care systems in Washington State. Implementation outcomes will be assessed using the RE-AIM framework.DiscussionOur study is innovative because we are targeting loneliness, an under-addressed but critical social risk factor that may prevent opioid misuse and use disorder in the setting where most patients are receiving their opioid prescriptions for chronic pain. If successful, the project will have a positive impact in reducing loneliness, reducing opioid misuse, improving function and preventing substance use disorder.Trial RegistrationNCT06285032, issue date: February 28, 2024, original.

Applicability of the Guide for Monitoring Child Development as a Telehealth Delivered Intervention During the Pandemic.

BackgroundEarly intervention delivered through telehealth is critically needed during crises, particularly for children in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to determine the applicability of the international Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) intervention delivered through telehealth during the COVID-19 lockdown in Turkey.MethodsUsing a mixed-methods longitudinal design, we recruited children with developmental difficulties aged 0–42 months with an appointment during the first lockdown at Ankara University Developmental Pediatrics Division and seen face-to-face only once before. Developmental pediatricians applied the GMCD intervention during a single telephone call. As a novel intervention component, caregivers were asked to record and send back videos of the child's development when there were doubts about the child's functioning. Caregivers were called 1 year later by blinded independent researchers and a semi-structured interview on applicability was conducted. Applicability of the caregiver recorded video component of the intervention was assessed by a blinded observer using the GMCD Video Observation Tool.ResultsOf 122 children that received the telehealth delivered GMCD intervention, 114 (93.4%) were included in the 1-year outcome study. Most were boys (51.8%); median age was 16.5 (IQR: 10.0–29.0) months, 51.0% had chronic health conditions, and 66.7% had developmental delay. All caregivers that received the intervention were mothers; 75.4% had at least high school education. The intervention was reported as applicable by 80.7% with high levels of satisfaction. On multivariate regression analysis, absence of chronic health related conditions was significantly associated with applicability (OR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.02–8.09). Of 31 caregivers that were asked for videos, 19 sent back 93 videos that were technically observable. One or more developmental domains were observed in all videos; in 52.6%, caregivers provided early learning opportunities.ConclusionsThe findings of this study imply that the telehealth delivered GMCD intervention for children with developmental difficulties is applicable during the pandemic. The intervention content and frequency needs to be augmented for children with chronic health conditions. Further research is required to examine applicability and effectiveness of the GMCD intervention in other settings, particularly in LMICs.

Using telehealth consultations for healthcare provision to patients from non-Indigenous racial/ethnic minorities: a systematic review.

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rapid adoption of telehealth consultations, potentially creating new barriers to healthcare access for racial/ethnic minorities. This systematic review explored the use of telehealth consultations for people from racial/ethnic minority populations in relation to health outcomes, access to care, implementation facilitators and barriers, and satisfaction with care.Materials and MethodsThis review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Five major databases were searched to identify relevant studies. Screening, full-text review, quality appraisal, and data extraction were all completed independently and in duplicate. A convergent integrated approach to data synthesis was applied with findings reported narratively.ResultsA total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. Telehealth-delivered interventions were mostly effective for the treatment/management of physical and mental health conditions including depression, diabetes, and hypertension. In several studies, telehealth improved access to care by providing financial and time benefits to patients. Technological difficulties were the main barriers to effective telehealth consultation, although overall satisfaction with telehealth-delivered care was high.DiscussionTelehealth-delivered care for racial/ethnic minorities offers promise across a range of conditions and outcomes, particularly when delivered in the patient’s preferred language. However, telehealth may be problematic for some due to cost and limited digital and health literacy.ConclusionThe development and implementation of guidelines, policies, and practices in relation to telehealth consultations for racial/ethnic minorities should consider the barriers and facilitators identified in this review to ensure existing health disparities are not exacerbated.

Exploring Internal Facilitators' Experience With NeoECHO to Foster NEC Prevention and Timely Recognition Through the iPARIHS Lens.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a major complication in the neonatal population. Standard practices regarding the care of premature infants and attitudes toward NEC prevention strategies vary across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Evidence-based best practice dissemination was presented through the NEC-Zero bundle. To close gaps between evidence and practice, a telehealth-delivered intervention (ie, NeoECHO) was provided to NICUs. The purpose of this study was to enable adoption of best practice for NEC prevention using NeoECHO through describing the local volunteer unit leaders', or internal facilitators' (IFs'), experiences in participating in NeoECHO and identifying the extent to which the facilitation activities within the NeoECHO experience were consistent with constructs from the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARHIS) framework. The design of this study was qualitative descriptive. Six IFs were recruited in the Southwest. After 6 NeoECHO sessions, individual interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was applied. Codes were informed by the iPARIHS framework. Major themes were (1) Innovation: Quality Improvement Projects, Bundles of Care, and Huddle; (2) Recipient: Reluctant Stakeholders and Technical Modalities; (3) Context: Buy-In, Timing, Resources, Leadership, and Blame; (4) Facilitation: Betterment, Buddy System, Passionate Care, and Empowerment; and (5) Adoption: Continuous Quality Improvement, Evidence-Based Practice, and Honest Discussions. NeoECHO fostered a learning community to share current practices, policies, and strategies for NEC prevention, but the IFs were essential to foster local participation. The long-term impacts of NeoECHO are the focus of current research.Video Abstract available athttps://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Pages/videogallery.aspx.

Telehealth Interventions for Improving Self-Management in Patients With Hemophilia: Scoping Review of Clinical Studies.

BackgroundThe introduction of home therapy for hemophilia has empowered patients and their families to manage the disease more independently. However, self-management of hemophilia is demanding and complex. The uses of innovative interventions delivered by telehealth routes such as social media and Web-based and mobile apps, may help monitor bleeding events and promote the appropriate use of clotting factors among patients with hemophilia.ObjectiveThis scoping review aims to summarize the literature evaluating the effectiveness of telehealth interventions for improving health outcomes in patients with hemophilia and provides direction for future research.MethodsA search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed databases for studies that (1) focused on patients with hemophilia A or B; (2) tested the use of remote telehealth interventions via the internet, wireless, satellite, telephone, and mobile phone media on patients and caregivers; and (3) reported on at least one of the following patient-/caregiver-focused outcomes related to empowering patients/caregivers to be active decision makers in the emotional, social, and medical management of the illness: quality of life, monitoring of bleeding episodes, joint damage or other measures of functional status, medication adherence, and patients’ knowledge. Implementation outcomes (user metrics, cost saving, and accuracy of electronic records) were also evaluated. Reviews, commentaries, and case reports comprising ≤10 cases were excluded.ResultsSixteen articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The majority of the interventions (10/16, 62%) evaluated both implementation outcomes and patient-/caregiver-focused outcomes. User performance and accuracy and comprehensiveness of electronic records were also measured in most studies (4/16, 87%). The components of the interventions were rather homogenous and typically involved electronic logging and reminders for prophylactic infusions, reporting of spontaneous and traumatic bleeding events, monitoring of infusion product usage and home inventory, and real-time communication with health care professionals and hemophilia clinics. Telemedicine-supported education and information interventions seemed to be particularly effective among adolescent and young adult patients. Although the patients reported improvements in their health-related quality of life and perception of illness, telemonitoring devices did not appear to have a significant effect on quantifiable health outcomes such as joint health. Longitudinal studies seemed to suggest that the response and adherence rates to recording decreased over time.ConclusionsPreliminary evidence from this review suggests that telehealth-delivered interventions could feasibly improve patients’ adherence to medication use and promote independence in disease management. Given the complexity and resources involved in developing a mature and established system, support from a dedicated network of hemophilia specialists and data managers will be required to maintain the technology, improve adherence to prophylactic treatment and recording, and validate the electronic data locally.