Telehealth Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Chronic Pain: The LAMP Randomized Clinical Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effectiveness of group and self-paced telehealth mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) versus usual care for improving pain-related function and biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic pain.
Results Summary
Both group and self-paced MBIs significantly improved pain interference, pain intensity, physical function, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social roles, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder compared to usual care, with no significant differences between the two MBI formats. The probability of 30% improvement from baseline was greater for both MBIs at various time points.
Population
Veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain recruited from 3 Veterans Affairs facilities.
Effective Dosage
8-week intervention with group MBI involving videoconference sessions and prerecorded videos, or self-paced MBI with asynchronous content and 3 facilitator calls.
Duration
8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | pain interference scores | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | -0.4 [95% CI, -0.7 to -0.2] | were significantly lower | #1 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | pain interference scores | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | -0.7 [95% CI, -1.0 to -0.4] | were significantly lower | #2 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | pain intensity | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #3 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | pain intensity | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #4 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | patient global impression of change | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #5 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | patient global impression of change | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #6 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | physical function | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #7 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | physical function | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #8 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | fatigue | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #9 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | fatigue | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #10 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | sleep disturbance | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #11 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | sleep disturbance | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #12 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | social roles and activities | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #13 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | social roles and activities | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #14 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | depression | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #15 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | depression | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #16 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | posttraumatic stress disorder | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #17 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | decrease | posttraumatic stress disorder | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | had significantly better scores | #18 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | no change | outcomes | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | did not significantly differ | #19 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | no change | outcomes | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | - | did not significantly differ | #20 |
group mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | pain-related function | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | at 10 weeks and 6 months | probability of 30% improvement from baseline was greater | #21 |
self-paced mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) | increase | pain-related function | veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain | at all 3 time points | probability of 30% improvement from baseline was greater | #22 |
IMPORTANCE: Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are evidence-based treatments for chronic pain and comorbid conditions, implementing them at scale poses many challenges, such as the need for dedicated space and trained instructors. OBJECTIVE: To examine group and self-paced, scalable, telehealth MBIs, for veterans with chronic pain, compared to usual care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a randomized clinical trial of veterans with moderate to severe chronic pain, recruited from 3 Veterans Affairs facilities from November 2020 to May 2022. Follow-up was completed in August 2023. INTERVENTIONS: Two 8-week telehealth MBIs (group and self-paced) were compared to usual care (control). The group MBI was done via videoconference with prerecorded mindfulness education and skill training videos by an experienced instructor, accompanied by facilitated discussions. The self-paced MBI was similar but completed asynchronously and supplemented by 3 individual facilitator calls. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was pain-related function using the Brief Pain Inventory interference scale at 3 time points: 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Secondary outcomes included biopsychosocial outcomes: pain intensity, physical function, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, participation in social roles and activities, depression, patient ratings of improvement of pain, and posttraumatic stress disorder. RESULTS: Among 811 veterans randomized (mean [SD] age, 54.6 [12.9] years; 387 [47.7%] women), 694 participants (85.6%) completed the trial. Averaged across all 3 time points, pain interference scores were significantly lower for both MBIs compared to usual care (group MBI vs control difference: -0.4 [95% CI, -0.7 to -0.2]; self-paced vs control difference: -0.7 [95% CI, -1.0 to -0.4]). Additionally, both MBI arms had significantly better scores on the following secondary outcomes: pain intensity, patient global impression of change, physical function, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social roles and activities, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Both group and self-paced MBIs did not significantly differ from one another. The probability of 30% improvement from baseline compared to control was greater for group MBI at 10 weeks and 6 months, and for self-paced MBI, at all 3 time points. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this randomized clinical trial, scalable telehealth MBIs improved pain-related function and biopsychosocial outcomes compared to usual care among veterans with chronic pain. Relatively low-resource telehealth-based MBIs could help accelerate and improve the implementation of nonpharmacological pain treatment in health care systems. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04526158.