The Mobile PTSD Coach App in Acute Injury Survivors

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Chronic Pain, Acute Pain Due to Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

In brief

This project is a preliminary randomized controlled trial testing the potential impact of the PTSD Coach mobile application at reducing posttraumatic stress and pain symptoms among acutely injured trauma patients. Immediately following the injury, patients will be randomly assigned to use the PTSD Coach app, or to the treatment as usual condition.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03247179

Run by

University of Pittsburgh

People needed

64

Starts

2017-09-19

Expected to finish

2019-02-15

Last updated by the study team

2019-03-04

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• English-speaking adults seeking treatment in the ED
• Adults between the ages of 18-65
• Sustained a musculoskeletal injury (e.g., fractures, sprains or strains, contusions, dislocations, crushing injuries and open wounds; and other chief complains involving the neck, back, or extremities)
• Injury resulting from a motor vehicle crash (MVC) or motorcycle crash (MCC) that occurred within the past 24 hours
• Eligible patients must own a mobile phone with short-message service (SMS) features (e.g., the ability to send and respond to text messages) and the ability to download apps
• Participants must self-report that they experienced a potential traumatic event reflected by Criterion A of the DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis (endorse actual or perceived life threat and/or serious injury141,142)
• Participants must self-report that they experienced a painful injury reflected by a pain score ≥4 using the verbal numerical score (0-10) in response to the question: "On a scale of 0-10, how severe is your pain?"
• Patients with a past history of PTSD, but not currently receiving treatment (e.g., benzodiazepines or mental/behavioral therapy), are eligible for participation.

You may not qualify if…

• Presenting to the ED for a non-MVC/MCC (i.e., fall, assault)
• Participants who do not own a mobile phone with SMS features
• Participants with a pain score < 4 or do not endorse Criterion A of the DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis
• Spinal injuries
• Major lacerations resulting in significant damage to subcutaneous tissue (e.g., degloving) and specific nerve injury (these injuries could lead to a distinct neuropathic pain syndrome)
• Traumatic brain injury; Evidence of moderate to severe cognitive impairment secondary to trauma-related head injury (GCS<13)
• Self-inflicted injury
• Time since trauma > 24 hours
• Non-English speaking; younger than 18 or older than 65
• Not medically stable or alert and oriented
• Initiation of benzodiazepines and other psychotropic medications at time of ED visit
• Initiation of mental or behavioral health therapy at time of ED visit
• Currently enrolled in treatment (medication or mental/behavioral health therapy) for PTSD
• Prisoners

Where it is running

• UPMC Presbyterian Hospital — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
• UPMC Mercy Hospital — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.