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Chronic PainADOPTCanVetsNCT07818980

Co-Adaptation of an Digital Pain Management Program for Canadian Veterans

An observational study of Chronic Pain and Veterans, run by University Health Network, Toronto at 1 site in Canada.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this study is to gather feedback from Canadian Veterans living with chronic pain, and clinicians serving Canadian Veterans, on an existing digital psychology program for self-management of chronic pain delivered through the Manage My Pain app. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Pain, Veterans
What is being tested?
Self-Guided Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program
How many people
22 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
14 Sep 2026to 30 Sep 2027
How long will I take part?
2 Months
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: The study population will include two groups recruited in Canada: adult Canadian Armed Forces Veterans living with chronic pain for at least 3 months and healthcare providers experienced in delivering evidence-based pain psychology interventions to Canadian Veterans. Veterans will be recruited through Canadian Veteran organizations, social media, and existing lists of individuals who have expressed interest in research. Clinicians will be recruited through professional networks using snowball sampling.

Who may be able to join

  • Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces who report having chronic pain (pain for 3 months or longer).
  • Have access to a device that can connect to the Internet.
  • Healthcare providers actively practicing in Canada.
  • Healthcare providers delivering evidence-based psychology interventions to Canadian Veterans (e.g., clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, counselors)
  • Have access to a device that can connect to the Internet.

Who cannot join

  • Individuals with a known history of serious mental illness (e.g., psychosis and/or active mania).
  • Individuals who have limited comprehension of English or comprehension deficits due to dementia.
  • Individuals with physical or cognitive impairments that prevent effective engagement with an online intervention (e.g., serious uncorrected visual or hearing impairment).
  • Healthcare providers who have limited comprehension of English

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Hance A Clarke, MD, PhD contact

416-340-4800 ext. 4251

hance.clarke@uhn.ca

Peter M Slepian, PhD contact

maxwell.slepian@uhn.ca

Canada1 site, 1 recruiting

  • Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2N2

    Hance Clarke, MD, PhD, 416-340-4800 ext. 4251, hance.clarke@uhn.ca

    Deep Grewal, deep.grewal@uhn.ca

    Recruiting

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Co-Adaptation of a Digital Chronic Pain Self-Management Program for Canadian Veterans

The goal of this study is to gather feedback from Canadian Veterans living with chronic pain, and clinicians serving Canadian Veterans, on an existing digital psychology program for self-management of chronic pain delivered through the Manage My Pain app. This feedback will be used to adapt the program for the needs and experiences of Canadian Veterans.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Read more
  • How acceptable, feasible, and engaging is the existing digital psychology program for Canadian Veterans living with chronic pain?
  • What changes are needed to make the program more relevant and appropriate for Canadian Veterans living with chronic pain?

Participants will:

  • Use the self-guided digital psychology program over a two-week period and complete questionnaires about the program's acceptability and feasibility. Veteran participants will also complete questionnaires about their pain and pain history.
  • Take part in a 30- to 45-minute virtual interview to provide feedback about the program and recommendations for its adaptation.

The study does not include a comparison group.

Read the detailed description

Chronic pain affects approximately 30% to 50% of Canadian Veterans, many of whom experience barriers to accessing interprofessional pain services, particularly when transitioning from military to civilian healthcare. Digital health interventions may help address gaps in care by providing accessible, evidence-based self-management support while Veterans await services or alongside their existing clinical care. However, these interventions must be adapted to reflect Veterans' needs and experiences, including military culture, values and language, pain- and mental health-related stigma, experiences of trauma, and challenges navigating the civilian healthcare system. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological intervention that can improve pain-related functioning, pain acceptance, and quality of life among people living with chronic pain, including Veterans. The current study will support the co-adaptation of an existing self-guided digital ACT intervention delivered through the Manage My Pain mobile health platform. Canadian Veterans living with chronic pain and clinicians experienced in providing evidence-based pain psychology interventions to Veterans will use the existing program and provide feedback through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Their feedback will inform modifications to the program's content, language, format, and delivery to create Advancing Online Pain Psychology Tools for Canadian Veterans (ADOPT-CanVets). The adapted program will subsequently be ready for evaluation in a feasibility trial. Once evaluated, ADOPT-CanVets may provide a scalable approach to increasing Canadian Veterans' access to evidence-based psychological support for chronic pain.

Being tested
Self-Guided Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program
Keywords
Canadian Veterans, Chronic pain, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT, Digital health intervention, Digital psychology intervention, Pain self-management, Mobile health, eHealth, Manage My Pain, Co-adaptation, Patient engagement, Veterans' health, Pain psychology, Feasibility Studies, Mindfulness, Internet-based Intervention
Medical subject headings
Chronic Pain, Patient Participation

What participants receive

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

  • Self-Guided Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ProgramOther

    A self-guided digital psychology program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and delivered through the Manage My Pain app. The program includes interactive psychoeducation about chronic pain and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, recognition of pain-related avoidance, clarification of personal values, identification of meaningful actions, strategies for making room for difficult experiences, and flexible persistence in meaningful activities.

Study groups in NCT07818980
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Canadian VeteransAdult Canadian Veterans living with chronic pain for at least 3 months. Participants will use the existing self-guided digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy program through the Manage My Pain app over 2 weeks. They will then complete questionnaires assessing program acceptability, and feasibility, pain and pain history, as well as a semi-structured interview about their experiences with the program and recommended adaptations.
Receives: Other: Self-Guided Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program
Clinicians Serving Canadian VeteransCanadian healthcare providers experienced in delivering evidence-based pain psychology interventions to Veterans. Participants will use the existing self-guided digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy program through the Manage My Pain app over 2 weeks. They will then complete questionnaires assessing program acceptability and feasibility and participate in a semi-structured interview about recommended adaptations for Canadian Veterans.
Receives: Other: Self-Guided Digital Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program

What is being measured

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

  1. Program Usage and Engagement as assessed by Manage My Pain Platform Usage Analytics

    Manage My Pain platform usage analytics will be used to assess engagement with the self-guided digital psychology program. Engagement metrics will include module access dates, time spent in each module, and the total number of modules completed by each participant. A greater number of completed modules will indicate greater program engagement.

    Measured: Participants will have their usage analytics tracked from access to the self-guided program to completion of the program, an average of 2 weeks.

  2. Program Acceptability as assessed by the Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form

    Program acceptability will be assessed using the 9-item Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form (TEI-SF). Items are rated on a 5-point scale and summed to produce a total score ranging from 9 to 45. Higher scores indicate greater acceptability.

    Measured: Participants will be sent a link to fill out the measure within 1 week of completing the program.

  3. Program Feasibility as assessed by the Feasibility Survey

    Participants' perceptions of program feasibility, acceptability, usability, and connection to the program will be assessed using a 13-item survey. Items are rated on a 7-point scale and may be examined individually or averaged to produce a mean score ranging from 1 to 7. The survey also includes an open-ended feedback question.

    Measured: Participants will be sent a link to fill out the measure within 1 week of completing the program.

  4. Retrospective Semi-structured Interview

    A 30- to 45-minute semi-structured interview will explore participants' experiences with the existing program and their recommendations for adapting its content, language, format, and delivery for Canadian Veterans.

    Measured: Participants will be sent an invitation for an interview within 1 week after completing the survey questions.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted14 Sep 2026
  2. Study start14 Sep 2026
  3. Primary completionSep 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
22 participants (estimated)
Target duration
2 Months
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07818980
Sponsor's protocol ID
26-5032
Acronym
ADOPTCanVets
Status last verified
Aug 2026
First submitted
26 Aug 2026
Last updated
28 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Christo EM. Novel Applications of Virtual Communities in Healthcare Settings: Chapter 4: Manage My Pain. IGI Global; 2017. 271.

  • Development & Usability of a Scalable Digital Psychology Intervention for Chronic Postsurgical Pain - IASP [Internet]. https://posters.worldcongress2024.org/. [cited 2025 Jun 24]. Available from: https://posters.worldcongress2024.org/poster/development-usability-of-a-scalable-digital-psychology-intervention-for-chronic-postsurgical-pain/

  • Canadian Pain Task Force Report: March 2021 [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Jun 23]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/canadian-pain-task-force/report-2021.html

  • Qureshi AR, Patel M, Neumark S, Wang L, Couban RJ, Sadeghirad B, Bengizi A, Busse JW. Prevalence of chronic non-cancer pain among military veterans: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ Mil Health. 2025 Jul 23;171(4):310-314. doi: 10.1136/military-2023-002554.

    PubMed 38124087

  • Becker WC, Dorflinger L, Edmond SN, Islam L, Heapy AA, Fraenkel L. Barriers and facilitators to use of non-pharmacological treatments in chronic pain. BMC Fam Pract. 2017 Mar 20;18(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12875-017-0608-2.

    PubMed 28320337

  • Simmonds MJ, Finley EP, Vale S, Pugh MJ, Turner BJ. A qualitative study of veterans on long-term opioid analgesics: barriers and facilitators to multimodality pain management. Pain Med. 2015 Apr;16(4):726-32. doi: 10.1111/pme.12626. Epub 2014 Dec 19.

    PubMed 25528887

  • Ul Haq MZ, Ashoorion V, Xi CE, Wang E, Ross N, Parakh N, Busse JW, Darzi AJ, Alvarez E. Canadian Veterans' Experiences of Living with Chronic Pain: A Descriptive Qualitative Study. Can J Pain. 2024 Jun 10;8(2):2361006. doi: 10.1080/24740527.2024.2361006. eCollection 2024.

    PubMed 39253291

  • King AC, Zahrai A, Bisson EJ, Shergill Y, Rice D, Wai E, Nedden NZ, Cooper L, James D, Rash JA, Bosma R, Ramsay T, Poulin P. Implementation-effectiveness of the power over pain portal for patients awaiting a tertiary care consultation for chronic pain: A pilot feasibility study. Digit Health. 2025 Mar 17;11:20552076251326229. doi: 10.1177/20552076251326229. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.

    PubMed 40103642

  • Thurnheer SE, Gravestock I, Pichierri G, Steurer J, Burgstaller JM. Benefits of Mobile Apps in Pain Management: Systematic Review. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018 Oct 22;6(10):e11231. doi: 10.2196/11231.

    PubMed 30348633

  • Pearson R, Carl E, Creech SK. Computerized Psychological Interventions in Veterans and Service Members: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Med Internet Res. 2022 Jun 3;24(6):e30065. doi: 10.2196/30065.

    PubMed 35657663

  • Kroll-Desrosiers A, Finley EP, Hamilton AB, Cabassa LJ. Evidence-Based Intervention Adaptations Within the Veterans Health Administration: a Scoping Review. J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Aug;38(10):2383-2395. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08218-z. Epub 2023 May 30.

    PubMed 37254009

  • Bhatia A, Kara J, Janmohamed T, Prabhu A, Lebovic G, Katz J, Clarke H. User Engagement and Clinical Impact of the Manage My Pain App in Patients With Chronic Pain: A Real-World, Multi-site Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021 Mar 4;9(3):e26528. doi: 10.2196/26528.

    PubMed 33661130

  • Slepian PM, Peng M, Janmohamed T, Kotteeswaran Y, Manoo V, Blades AM, Fiorellino J, Katznelson R, Tamir D, McRae K, Kahn M, Huang A, Kona S, Thaker S, Weinrib A, Katz J, Clarke H. Engagement with Manage My Pain mobile health application among patients at the Transitional Pain Service. Digit Health. 2020 Oct 13;6:2055207620962297. doi: 10.1177/2055207620962297. eCollection 2020 Jan-Dec.

    PubMed 33117557

  • Scott W, McCracken LM. Psychological flexibility, acceptance and commitment therapy, and chronic pain. Curr Opin Psychol. 2015 Apr 1;2:91-6.

  • Wang JQ, Wang XZ, Wang WX. Acceptance and commitment therapy for enhancing mental health in military personnel: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. World J Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 19;15(3):100959. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i3.100959. eCollection 2025 Mar 19.

    PubMed 40110015

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Chronic Pain and Veterans, run by University Health Network, Toronto at 1 site 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 5 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Hance A Clarke, MD, PhD (416-340-4800 ext. 4251, hance.clarke@uhn.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Program Usage and Engagement as assessed by Manage My Pain Platform Usage Analytics (time frame: Participants will have their usage analytics tracked from access to the self-guided program to completion of the program, an average of 2 weeks.). The study lists 4 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 NCT07818980, which also lists 20 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 28 Sep 2026.

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