I-WOTCH V1.0

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Improving the Wellbeing of people with Opioid Treated Chronic pain; I-WOTCH

  • IRAS ID

    199154

  • Contact name

    Harbinder Sandhu

  • Contact email

    Harbinder.K.Sandhu@warwick.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Warwick

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    3 years, 2 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    Moderate to severe chronic (long term) non-malignant pain negatively impacts health and functioning. Strong opioids are increasingly prescribed as treatment but the adverse events often outweigh the benefits of long term use.

    Previous work has found that self-management and cognitive behavioural interventions can support pain management. We have adapted this evidence based approach and developed a self-management course to target opioid tapering. We plan to test it with a randomised controlled trial. We will compare the new course against a self-learning manual about opioids, a relaxation CD and usual GP care.

    The course is led by a professional and lay facilitator in a group setting and has psychological, medical education and activity components. There are three day long sessions. There are also two individual face to face consultations and two individual telephone consultations with a nurse. The total length of the course is 8 to 10 weeks.

    We will recruit 468 participants from general practices, pain clinics and physiotherapy services in North East England, North East London and West Midlands.
    To compare the two approaches, we will measure activities of daily life, pain severity, quality of life, self-efficacy and opioid use. This information will be collected at baseline and four, eight and twelve months following enrolment.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/YH/0325

  • Date of REC Opinion

    13 Sep 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion