Piloting virtual person-centered consultations to expand non-pharmacologic chronic pain options

Aim: Novel approaches are needed to expand access to non-pharmacological pain management options. This study’s objective was to test and evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and treatment effects of videoconference-based pain consultations among adults prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Methods: A one-group pre-post pilot feasibility design was used to recruit adults with a chronic pain diagnosis. Convenience sampling was restricted to United States (U.S.) residents in Washington State. Three videoconference-based 45-minute sessions were offered from participants’ choice of two non-pharmacological modalities delivered by yoga, massage, chiropractic, and physical therapists. Six sessions were offered in total per participant (once weekly for six weeks). Pain intensity/interference, depression, anxiety, pain self-efficacy, thwarted belongingness, spiritual well-being, and opioid misuse were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using online surveys to determine whether improvements could be detected. Data were also captured on recruitment and retention as a measure of feasibility, while session attendance and satisfaction surveys measured acceptability. Results: Sixteen participants completed 92 treatment modality sessions. Yoga therapy was the most selected option (n = 11), followed by physical therapy (n = 9), massage therapy (n = 8), and chiropractic therapy (n = 4). Attendance was 95% at the scheduled sessions. Significant improvements from baseline to week six were found in pain intensity and interference, depressive symptoms, and thwarted belongingness. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary virtual pain consultations delivered via videoconferencing technology served as a feasible option to access complementary and integrative therapies. Improvements were detected in pain-related and psychosocial outcomes. Structured virtual approaches may represent a scalable strategy to expand non-pharmacologic treatment options for adults with chronic pain. Protocol for this study was registered a priori through Clinical Trials Network (#NCT05098158).