The Feasibility of the PAINReportIt Guided Relaxation Intervention-INPATIENT

Overview

The goal of this research study is to improve the self-management of pain, stress, and cognitive/affective symptoms that may result in adult inpatients with sickle cell disease (SCD) by determining the feasibility of a self-management guided relaxation (GR) stress reduction intervention using a tablet-based mobile device. Currently, opioid analgesics are primarily used to treat SCD pain while self-managed behavioral modalities such as GR, are rarely used, particularly, in inpatient settings. Little is known about the effects or mechanisms of GR on pain, stress, and cognitive/affective symptoms in adults with SCD hospitalized with pain. Emerging evidence from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis theory offer insights for understanding the mechanisms. Adding GR as a supplement to analgesic therapies will address the dearth of self-management strategies for controlling pain in SCD. GR is a simple and cost-effective non-drug intervention that could reduce pain and stress in inpatients with SCD. GR is an intervention where inpatients with SCD are directed to listen to and view audio-visual recordings while they visualize themselves being immersed in that scenario.

The purpose of this research study is to see if a new computerized stress reduction program, called PAINReportIt Guided Relaxation Intervention, can be used to teach people who have sickle cell disease (SCD) how to track their stress and pain daily and use guided audio-visual relaxation exercises to help them reduce their stress and pain. To obtain preliminary data for a larger trial, 30 adult inpatients with SCD admitted with SCD pain will be recruited. The investigators will stratify patients on worst pain intensity (\<=5 and \>5) and randomly assign 15 adults to Attention Control (12-min SCD experience discussion on Day 1 and daily stress/pain tracking on Days 2-4) and 15 adults to Experimental (12-min GR video clip on Day 1 and daily stress/pain tracking and GR on Days 2-4) groups. Immediate effects on pain, stress, and relaxation responses after the 12-min session will be examined. Patients will continue the trial for additional 4 days, with self-management on Days 2-4 and posttest on Day 5 while hospitalized to test short-term effects. During Days 2-4, the experimental group will choose and watch any of six video clips (2 min, 5 min, 8 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 20 min lengths) at least once a day; and at stress onset and as often as they need. We will investigate mechanisms by which GR produces its effects in adult inpatients with SCD.