Internet interventions for adults with tinnitus
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Internet-based intervention versus face-to-face clinical care for tinnitus: A randomised control trial
IRAS ID
195565
Contact name
Eldre Beukes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Anglia Ruskin University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 13 days
Research summary
Experiencing tinnitus may be very distressing, due to hearing unwanted sounds, such as ringing or buzzing. Tinnitus can result in a complex set of complaints, negatively affect quality of life and lead to further health related affects such as anxiety and depression. Support is required to empower individuals to manage this chronic condition. Having readily accessible specialist clinical services throughout the country is desirable, but difficult to implement, due to the burdens on the current health care system. Innovative ways of helping those with tinnitus, as well as manage the related health care burden, is required. An alternative tinnitus management approach was therefore developed in the form of an internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy intervention (iCBT), based on previous research in Europe, that has shown promising results in reducing the impact of tinnitus. A protocol to assess the effectiveness of iCBT in the UK was published and initial clinical trials are underway. The gold standard for testing a new intervention is comparing it to standard clinical care. The aim of this research is, therefore to further evaluate the effectiveness iCBT to that of clinical care provided in Tinnitus Clinics. A multi-centre comparison study is proposed at three sites in the East of England. The study design followed will be a two-armed randomised control trial, with two month follow up, using repeated measures analysis methods. This study is important as it is in line with the James Lind Alliance and British Tinnitus Association research priorities and has many potential clinical implications. If iCBT is found to be effective, it could be hugely beneficial for those without access to tinnitus support services and alleviate the burden on the current health care systems.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EE/0148
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion