The goal of this 2-cohort, cluster randomized, type 2 hybrid trial is to test the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and patient-level effects of an implementation facilitation strategy in helping M2VA case managers adopt a Military2VA Pain Care Pathway (M2VAPCP) intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: Will adding implementation facilitation to training-as-usual for M2VAPCP result in a higher proportion of Veterans who receive M2VAPCP compared to training-as-usual alone? Will adding implementation facilitation to training-as-usual for M2VAPCP result in better adherence to the M2VAPCP protocol compared to training-as-usual alone? Will implementation facilitation improve Veterans' clinical outcomes (pain, risky substance use) and increase the number of non-pharmacological pain treatments used compared to training-as-usual alone?
Investigators will conduct a type 2 hybrid cluster randomized trial to test the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and patient-level effects of an implementation facilitation strategy to train case managers in the Post-9/11 Military2VA (M2VA) program in a pain and substance use-focused Military2VA Pain Care Pathway (M2VAPCP) intervention. Aim 1: Determine if implementation facilitation (IF) of training case managers in M2VAPCP more effectively fosters M2VAPCP's use than training-as-usual. The primary implementation outcome will be the proportion of participants who receive any M2VAPCP (Reach). Other implementation outcomes will be the proportion of case managers who receive training in M2VAPCP and proportion of those trained who used M2VAPCP with at least three participants (Adoption), and the integrity of case managers' use of Motivational Interviewing in M2VAPCP sessions (Implementation). Factors affecting case managers' ongoing use of M2VAPCP as part of their practice (Maintenance) and experience with implementation facilitation, M2VAPCP and navigating VA pain care services will be explored qualitatively for each cohort in a formative evaluation. Aim 2: Determine if implementation facilitation of M2VAPCP improves participants' clinical outcomes. The primary clinical outcome is the PEG measure of pain. Secondary outcomes will be the ASSIST-3 measure of substance use (with biochemical verification of alcohol report using fingernails), and EHR-derived number of nonpharmacologic pain management services used. Aim 3: Determine the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of implementation facilitation relative to training-as-usual to reach Veterans with M2VAPCP and improve their clinical outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
1,800
M2VAPCP is a manualized Motivational Interviewing-based intervention, designed to motivate Veterans to engage in multimodal nonpharmacological pain care and reduce substance misuse when present. The first session includes empathic exploration of the Veteran's MSD, pain experiences, and motivations for pain care; psychoeducation about the benefits of multimodal pain care and judicious use of non-opioid medications; information about available pain management services and treatments for conditions that might exacerbate chronic pain; screening for substance misuse, including prescription medications, and motivational enhancement to change behaviors related to positive screens; and for those interested, making plans to achieve these goals. Over 12 weeks, case managers will hold up to two additional sessions with participants to check on their goal achievement and continue motivational enhancement for multimodal pain treatment and reduced substance misuse.
Implementation facilitation teams consisting of internal and external facilitators will conduct activities for two purposes: 1. to build working relationships within the pain and addiction care pathways to achieve the shared goal of implementing high-quality M2VAPCP; and 2. to promote constructive, problem-solving oriented communication based on indicators of M2VAPCP implementation progress. Activities will include Virtual Site Visits, all-side facilitation team meetings, local facilitation team meetings, M2VAPCP consultation groups, learning collaboratives, case identification reports and audit and feedback.
VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS)
West Haven, Connecticut, United States
RECRUITINGReach
Proportion of participants who receive any M2VAPCP
Time frame: 21 months
Pain, Enjoyment of Life and General Activity scale
Three questions about the past week's pain. One question asks about pain severity and two questions ask about pain interference. Each item is rated on a 0-10 Likert scale. Responses are added together and divided by three to get a final score out of 10. A higher score indicates more severe pain and pain-related interference with life and activities.
Time frame: 36 weeks
Adoption
Proportion of case managers who receive training in M2VAPCP and proportion of those trained who used M2VAPCP with at least three participants
Time frame: 21 months
Implementation
Integrity of case managers' use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in M2VAPCP sessions. Measured with LYSSN-generated overall quality score. The score ranges from 0-12 and summarizes MI proficiency across 6 MI fidelity metrics: empathy, collaboration, % reflections, % questions, % MI adherence, and ratio of reflections to questions. Each of the 6 metrics is scored 0,1, or 2 on whether the score met criteria for basic or advanced competency, using cutoffs from the MITI v3.1.1 manual. This score summarizes the quality of MI delivered, with higher scores indicating better MI performance.
Time frame: 21 months
ASSIST-3
Substance use will be measured over the last 3 months using Version 3.1 of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). After a screening question focusing on substances ever used, the ASSIST consists of seven questions about use of and consequences of use of each of ten classes of substances over the preceding three months (including nicotine). For each substance category, the score of seven questions are summed to produce a risk score, and risk scores are grouped into 'low risk', 'moderate risk' or 'high risk' which determines the level of intervention recommendation (no intervention, brief intervention or brief intervention plus referral to specialist treatment).
Time frame: 36 weeks
Pain Treatments Used
The number of nonpharmacological pain treatment services used, derived from the VA electronic health system records.
Time frame: 36 weeks
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