Whole Health

Der-Martirosian C, Shin M, Upham ML, Douglas JH, Zeliadt SB, Taylor SL. Telehealth Complementary and Integrative Health Therapies During COVID-19 at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Telemed J E Health. 2023 Apr;29(4):576-583.

BACKGROUND

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies, such as in-person acupuncture, chiropractic care, and meditation, are evidence-based nonpharmaceutical treatment options for pain. During COVID-19, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) delivered several CIH therapies virtually. This study explores veterans' utilization, advantages/disadvantages, and delivery issues of yoga, Tai Chi, meditation/mindfulness (self-care), and massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture (practitioner-delivered care), using telephone/video at 18 VA sites during COVID-19.

METHODS

Use of virtual care was examined quantitatively with VA administrative data for six CIH therapies before and after COVID-19 onset (2019-2021). Advantages/disadvantages and health care delivery issues of these CIH therapies through virtual care were examined qualitatively using interview data (2020-2021).

RESULTS

Overall, televisits represented a substantial portion of all CIH self-care therapies delivered by VA in 2020 (53.7%) and 2021 (82.1%), as sites developed virtual group classes using VA secure online video platforms in response to COVID-19. In contrast, a small proportion of all encounters with acupuncturists, chiropractors, and massage therapists was telephone/video encounters in 2020 (17.3%) and in 2021 (5.4%). These were predominantly one-on-one care in the form of education, follow-ups, home exercises, assessments/evaluations, or acupressure. Delivery issues included technical difficulties, lack of access to needed technology, difficulty tracking virtual visits, and capacity restrictions. Advantages included increased access to self-care, increased patient receptivity to engaging in self-care, and flexibility in staffing online group classes. Disadvantages included patient preference, patient safety, and strain on staffing.

CONCLUSION

Despite delivery issues or disadvantages of tele-CIH self-care, veterans' use of teleself-care CIH therapies grew substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ganesh N, Sun S, Feder A, Galfalvy H, Yehuda R, Byma L, Haghighi F. Delivery of Telehealth Complementary and Integrated Health Interventions Improves Mental Health and Overall Wellness to Broaden Veterans' Access to Care. J Integr Complement Med. 2023 Feb;29(2):127-130

BACKGROUND

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) interventions show promise in improving overall wellness and engaging Veterans at risk of suicide.

METHODS

An intensive 4-week telehealth CIH intervention programming was delivered motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and outcomes were measured pre-post program completion.

RESULTS

With 93% program completion (121 Veterans), significant reduction in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were observed pre-post telehealth CIH programing, but not in sleep quality. Improvements in pain symptoms, and stress management skills were observed in Veterans at risk of suicide.

DISCUSSION

Telehealth CIH interventions show promise in improving mental health symptoms among at-risk Veterans, with great potential to broaden access to care toward suicide prevention.

Interian A, Miller RB, Hill LMS, Latorre M, King AR, Rodriguez KM, Mann SL, Kashan RS, Dissanayaka NN, Dobkin RD. A Pilot Study of Telehealth Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression in Parkinson's Disease. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2022 May 23:8919887221103579.

IntroductionParkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by high-rates of depression with limited evidence-based treatment options to improve mood.ObjectiveTo expand therapeutic options, we evaluated the feasibility and effect of a telehealth mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention adapted for PD (MBCT-PD) in a sample of participants with DSM-5 depressive disorders.MethodsFifteen participants with PD and clinically-significant depression completed 9 sessions of MBCT-PD. Depression, anxiety, and quality of life were evaluated at baseline, endpoint, and 1-month follow-up.ResultsTelehealth MBCT-PD was feasible and beneficial. Completion rates exceeded 85% and treatment satisfaction rates were high. Notable improvements were observed for depression, anxiety, and quality of life over the course of the trial.ConclusionTelehealth MBCT-PD shows promise and warrants further evaluation via randomized clinical trial with more diverse participants. Such research holds the potential to expand the range of therapeutic options for depression in PD, thereby setting the stage for personalized care.

Kelley ML, Strowger M, Chentsova VO, Bravo AJ, Gaylord SA, Burgin EE, Vinci C, Ayers KL, Agha E. Mindfulness to Manage Moral Injury: Rationale and development of a live online 7-week group intervention for veterans with moral injury. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2022 Oct 14;30:101011.

BACKGROUND

Military service puts service members at risk for moral injury. Moral injury is an array of symptoms (e.g., guilt, shame, anger) that develop from events that violate or transgress one's moral code.

OBJECTIVE

We describe adaption of in-person mindfulness training program, Mindfulness to Manage Chronic Pain (MMCP), to address symptoms of moral injury to be delivered live via the web. We discuss how we will assess benchmarks (i.e., recruitment, credibility and acceptability, completion rates, and adherence) of the Mindfulness to Manage Moral Injury (MMMI) program.

METHODS

Aim 1: To develop and then adapt the MMCP program based on feedback from experts and veterans who took part in Study 1. Aim 2: To develop an equally intensive facilitator-led online Educational Support (ES) program to serve as a comparison intervention and conduct a run-through of each program with 20 veterans (10 MMMI; 10 ES). Aim 3: To conduct a small-scale randomized controlled trial (N = 42 veterans; 21 MMMI; 21 ES) in which we will collect pre-post-test and weekly benchmark data for both refined intervention arms.

RESULTS

Study 1 and 2 are completed. Data collection for Study 3 will be completed in 2022.

CONCLUSION

MMMI is designed to provide a live facilitated mindfulness program to address symptoms of moral injury. If Study 3 demonstrates good benchmarks, with additional large-scale testing, MMMI may be a promising treatment that can reach veterans who may not seek traditional VAMC care and/or who prefer a web-based program.

Mathersul DC, Mahoney LA, Bayley PJ. Tele-yoga for Chronic Pain: Current Status and Future Directions. Glob Adv Health Med. 2018 Apr 2;7:2164956118766011.

Pain is a pervasive, debilitating disorder that is resistant to long-term pharmacological interventions. Although psychological therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy demonstrate moderate efficacy, many individuals continue to have ongoing difficulties following treatment. There is a current trend to establish complementary and integrative health interventions for chronic pain, for which yoga has been found to have exciting potential. Nevertheless, an important consideration within the field is accessibility to adequate care. Telehealth can be used to provide real-time interactive video conferencing leading to increased access to health care for individuals located remotely or who otherwise have difficulty accessing services, perhaps through issues of mobility or proximity of adequate services. This article assesses the current status and feasibility of implementing tele-yoga for chronic pain. Methodological limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

O'Bryan EM, Davis E, Beadel JR, Tolin DF. Brief adjunctive mindfulness-based cognitive therapy via Telehealth for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2023 Jan;36(1):124-135.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

While cognitive-behavioral therapy is a highly efficacious treatment for anxiety, additional research is needed to identify adjunctive interventions that may augment treatment outcome.

DESIGN

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted an open feasibility trial of brief (i.e., four 75- to 90-minute sessions) mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for anxiety via telehealth for patients (N = 23) receiving individual CBT at an outpatient specialty clinic.

METHODS

Self-report measures of home practice compliance (weekly), intervention acceptability (post-intervention), mindfulness and self-compassion, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and transdiagnostic processes (pre- and post-intervention) were administered as part of routine clinical practice.

RESULTS

Results indicated good retention and attendance rates, few technical difficulties, good home practice compliance, and high levels of perceived importance. Participants indicated that they would highly recommend the group to others and also recommended extending the group beyond four sessions. There were significant improvements in mindfulness and self-compassion and reductions in intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, distress intolerance, emotion dysregulation, and anxiety symptoms from pre- to post-intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Brief MBCT as an adjunctive treatment for anxiety via telehealth is feasible and acceptable, and shows promise in terms of engaging treatment targets and transdiagnostic processes and reducing anxiety symptoms.

Rice VJ, Schroeder PJ. In-Person and Virtual World Mindfulness Training: Trust, Satisfaction, and Learning. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2021 Aug;24(8):526-535. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2019.0590. Epub 2021 Mar 2. PMID: 33656351.

Virtual worlds (VWs) present a viable, low-cost delivery mechanism for telehealth services. Although preliminary reports support the effectiveness of VWs in terms of health metrics, few studies have examined the perceived benefits and learning potential for military service members and veterans. Trust is integral to any interaction and may be even more important, and problematic to establish, during virtual interactions than in-person (IP) communications. The purpose of this study was to compare active duty and veteran U.S. Military service members' (n = 92) self-reported trust, class satisfaction, and didactic learning after completing either an 8-week training course in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) delivered IP or an 8-week mindfulness meditation class based on MBSR via the VW of Second Life. Results showed that learning performance was not significantly different between the IP and VW groups (p > 0.05). Although overall trust was high for both groups, participants in the IP group reported greater trust and class satisfaction compared with the VW group (p < 0.05). Trust, satisfaction, and learning were significantly correlated with one another, and trust in the instructor significantly predicted trust-in-classmates, trust-in-self, and class satisfaction for both groups (p < 0.05). In this study, IP group training was superior to VW training in terms of self-reported greater trust in the instructor, classmates, and self, and higher satisfaction with the training. Trust in the instructor is particularly important for group training, whether IP or in a VW. This study reiterates the arduous task of establishing trust in a VW setting and suggests that creating trust between the instructor and participants is high priority as a leading objective for VW communications. Suggestions for building trust are tight collaboration and clear communication, along with supporting and advocating for one another.

Sawyer LM, Brown LM, Lensing SY, McFadden D, Bopp MM, Ferrier I, Sullivan DH. Rapid conversion of Tai Chi classes from face-to-face to virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic: A quality improvement project. Nurs Forum. 2022 May;57(3):491-496.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine the feasibility of rapidly converting a Tai Chi program for older Veterans from face-to-face to virtual classes.

METHODS

Eighteen Veterans attending our face-to-face Tai Chi course were invited to transition to virtual classes. Feasibility was defined as the ability of program staff and participants to successfully connect and complete the initial and subsequent classes by VA Video Connect (VVC) with little to no technical difficulties, participant ability to participate in the course without safety concerns, and favorable feedback from participants and program staff.

RESULTS

Nine of 18 Veterans agreed to transition to the virtual program and attended a median (interquartile range) of 11 (4-15) classes; they were younger (62.7 + 11.5 vs. 70.5 + 7.0 years, p < .05) and more likely to have the knowledge and equipment needed to participate (78% vs. 0%, p < .01) than nonparticipants. Tai Chi instructors and participating Veterans reported being able to connect to and complete the classes virtually with only minimal technical problems. No adverse events were reported. Feedback from the instructors and Veterans was positive and included comments on ease of use and enjoyability.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that virtual Tai Chi classes via VVC are feasible for some older Veterans.

Schulz-Heik RJ, Meyer H, Mahoney L, Stanton MV, Cho RH, Moore-Downing DP, Avery TJ, Lazzeroni LC, Varni JM, Collery LM, Bayley PJ. Results from a clinical yoga program for veterans: yoga via telehealth provides comparable satisfaction and health improvements to in-person yoga. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017 Apr 4;17(1):198.

BACKGROUND

Yoga is increasingly popular, though little data regarding its implementation in healthcare settings is available. Similarly, telehealth is being utilized more frequently to increase access to healthcare; however we know of no research on the acceptability or effectiveness of yoga delivered through telehealth. Therefore, we evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and patient-reported effectiveness of a clinical yoga program at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center and assessed whether these outcomes differed between those participating in-person and those participating via telehealth.

METHODS

Veterans who attended a yoga class at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System were invited to complete an anonymous program evaluation survey.

RESULTS

64 Veterans completed the survey. Participants reported high satisfaction with the classes and the instructors. More than 80% of participants who endorsed a problem with pain, energy level, depression, or anxiety reported improvement in these symptoms. Those who participated via telehealth did not differ from those who participated in-person in any measure of satisfaction, overall improvement (p = .40), or improvement in any of 16 specific health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Delivering yoga to a wide range of patients within a healthcare setting appears to be feasible and acceptable, both when delivered in-person and via telehealth. Patients in this clinical yoga program reported high levels of satisfaction and improvement in multiple problem areas. This preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a clinical yoga program complements prior evidence for the efficacy of yoga and supports the use of yoga in healthcare settings.

Zaccari B, Loftis JM, Haywood T, Hubbard K, Clark J, Kelly UA. Synchronous Telehealth Yoga and Cognitive Processing Group Therapies for Women Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial Adapted for COVID-19. Telemed J E Health. 2022 Mar 29:10.1089/tmj.2021.0612.

BACKGROUND

Providing care over telehealth grew slowly until the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing mental health care was readily adapted to virtual means; however, clinical trial research is nascent in adapting methods and procedures to the virtual world.

METHODS

We present protocol modifications to pivot a multisite randomized controlled trial study, conducted at Southeastern and Pacific Northwestern Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems, from being conducted in-person to virtually, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We measured outcomes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychophysiological markers of stress among female Veterans with PTSD secondary to military sexual trauma. We collected qualitative data about provider and participant experiences with telehealth.

RESULTS

Across sites, 200 participants were consented (48 virtually), 132 were randomized (28 to virtual groups), and 117 completed data collection and treatment (69 completed all or some data collection or treatment virtually).

CONCLUSIONS

The pivots made for this study were in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and offer innovative procedures leveraging technology and contributing to the broader landscape of conducting research virtually.