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Chronic PainNCT02601755

iCanCope With Pain: A Smartphone and Web Self-management Program for Adolescents and Young Adults With Chronic Pain

A study testing iCanCope app and website in people with Chronic Pain, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 10 sites in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Chronic pain in adolescents and young adults (AYA, aged 15-25) is a common problem. Pain that is not treated properly can reduce quality of life. Programs to help AYA learn to live with and manage pain are very important. Our team is developing a smartphone application (app) and website for AYA with chronic pain. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 15 to 25 years
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Pain
What is being tested?
iCanCope app and website
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
302 participants
Where
10 sitesCanada
Study dates
1 Apr 2017to 1 Aug 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 15 to 25 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosed with chronic pain of at least 3 months duration according to medical chart
  • Able to speak and read English
  • Willing and able to complete online measures
  • Participants are active patients at pain clinic at one of the respective participating study sites
  • Have been on a stable dose of medications for at least 4 weeks prior to entering the study according to medical chart
  • Have access to an Internet-connected computer according to self-report.

Who cannot join

  • Moderate to severe cognitive impairments, as assessed by reviewing medical chart and consultation with the patient's healthcare provider
  • Major co-morbid psychiatric (e.g. conversion disorder, depression, anxiety disorder) illness that may impact patient's ability to understand and use the iCanCope with Pain intervention via self-report, as determined by their health care provider
  • Patient from the department of haemology/oncology
  • Participated in the Phase 2B iCanCope usability study

Trial locations and contacts

10 sites in 1 country.

10 sites in 1 country

Canada10 sites

  • Alberta Children's Hospital

    Calgary, Alberta, T3B 6A8

  • Stollery Children's Hospital

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7

  • University of Alberta

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R7

  • Nova Scotia Health Authority/Dalhousie University

    Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2E1

  • IWK Health Centre

    Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 6R8

  • Hamilton Health Sciences

    Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5

  • The Ottawa Hospital

    Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L6

  • University of Saskatchewan

    Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

  • Mount Sinai Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5

  • Hospital for Sick Children

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: iCanCope With Pain: An Integrated Smartphone and Web Self-management Program for Adolescents and Young Adults With Chronic Pain

Chronic pain in adolescents and young adults (AYA, aged 15-25) is a common problem. Pain that is not treated properly can reduce quality of life. Programs to help AYA learn to live with and manage pain are very important. Our team is developing a smartphone application (app) and website for AYA with chronic pain. The app will help AYA to track pain, sleep, mood, activities, and exercise and help AYA set and achieve goals. The website will give information about pain and how to manage it independently. We will build the program and make sure it is easy to use and understand. We will also test if the program can be put into practice as planned and if AYA using the program feel less pain, have less limitations, and a better quality of life.

Conditions
Chronic Pain
Being tested
iCanCope app and website, Attention control group
Medical subject headings
Chronic Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • iCanCope app and websiteBehavioural

    In addition to standard medical care, adolescents and young adults in the experimental group will receive access to the "iCanCope with Pain" smartphone app and website for 8 weeks. The app consists of daily pain symptom tracking (pain intensity, sleep, mood, physical activity, and fatigue), goal setting, in-the moment coping strategies, as well as a social community component. The website provides chronic pain-specific education, self-management strategies, and resources.

  • Attention control groupBehavioural

    The control group is designed to control for the potential effects on outcomes of time, attention, smartphone and computer use during the intervention. In addition to standard medical care, adolescents and young adults in the attention control group will receive access to the "iCanCope with Pain" smartphone app (control version, with limited functionality), and a pain resource website without access to self-management strategies.

Study groups in NCT02601755
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
iCanCope app and websiteExperimentalIntervention: Behavioral: iCanCope app and website
Receives: Behavioral: iCanCope app and website
Attention control groupActive comparatorIntervention: Behavioral: Attention control group
Receives: Behavioral: Attention control group

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Participant Accrual and Dropout Rates

    This will be centrally tracked by the clinical research project coordinator (CRPC).

    Measured: 6 months

  2. Intervention fidelity

    Any issues or difficulties encountered during implementation of the intervention, control strategy, or outcome measures will be tracked throughout the study by the CRPC.

    Measured: 8 weeks

  3. Acceptability and Satisfaction

    Participants in the intervention arm will complete the Acceptability e-scale (AES) post-intervention. In addition, a subset of participants from the intervention group will be offered to participate in a qualitative feedback interview to further explore acceptability and satisfaction of the intervention.

    Measured: 8 weeks

  4. Engagement with Intervention

    Google Analytics will track patterns of app and website usage.

    Measured: 8 weeks

  5. Adherence

    Adherence will be determined using Google Analytics.

    Measured: 8 weeks

Secondary outcomes (10)

  1. Pain intensity and interference

    Measured using the short form Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), a 15-item tool that measures pain intensity and impact on functioning.

    Measured: 6 months

  2. Self-efficacy

    Measured with the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), a 10-item scale that requires patients to take their pain into account when rating their self-efficacy beliefs.

    Measured: 6 months

  3. Emotional Functioning

    Measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), a 14-item measure for the assessment of anxiety and depressive symptoms.

    Measured: 6 months

  4. Sleep Functioning

    Measured with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), a 7-item self-report questionnaire for assessing the nature, severity, and impact of insomnia.

    Measured: 6 months

  5. Social Functioning

    Measured with the Perceived Social Support from Friends (PSS-Fr) Scale, a 20-item scale that assesses the extent to which an individual perceives that their friends fulfill their needs for support.

    Measured: 6 months

  6. Health-Related Quality of Life

    Measured using the SF-36 Health Survey, a 36-item self-report scale with 8 subscales (Physical Functioning, Role-Physical, Bodily Pain, General Health, Vitality, Social Functioning, Role-Emotional, and Mental Health).

    Measured: 6 months

  7. Patients' Global Impression of Change

    Measured using the PGIC scale, a single item rating by participants of their perceived change during the trial.

    Measured: 6 months

  8. Pain-Related Knowledge

    Measured using a modified version of the Medical Issues, Exercise, Pain and Social Support (MEPS) questionnaire, a 27-item measure.

    Measured: 6 months

  9. Health Care Utilization

    Measured using the Chronic Pain Healthcare Utilization Form. (modified from the Ambulatory and Home Care Record)

    Measured: 6 months

  10. Adverse effects

    Will be tracked using the adverse event form.

    Measured: 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Nov 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study start1 Apr 2017
  3. Primary completion1 Aug 2023
  4. Study completion1 Aug 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
302 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02601755
Sponsor's protocol ID
1000047495
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
6 Nov 2015
Last updated
20 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Lalloo C, Nishat F, Palermo T, Montgomery L, Campbell F, Baerg K, Chorney J, Dick B, Di Renna T, Mukhida K, Noel M, Poulin P, Simmonds M, Zacharias R, Harris L, Davies-Chalmers C, Ouellette C, Mohabir V, Pham Q, Cafazzo J, Brennenstuhl S, McDermott B, Kelly R, Stinson JN. Impacts of the iCanCope Digital Pain Self-Management Program Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Chronic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Can J Pain. 2026 Oct 15;10(1):2717605. doi: 10.1080/24740527.2026.2717605. eCollection 2026.

    PubMed 42899170

  • Lalloo C, Hundert A, Harris L, Pham Q, Campbell F, Chorney J, Dick B, Simmonds M, Cafazzo J, Stinson J. Capturing Daily Disease Experiences of Adolescents With Chronic Pain: mHealth-Mediated Symptom Tracking. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019 Jan 17;7(1):e11838. doi: 10.2196/11838.

    PubMed 30664472

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing iCanCope app and website in people with Chronic Pain, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 10 sites in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 10 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Participant Accrual and Dropout Rates (time frame: 6 months). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02601755, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Apr 2026.

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