18 and older, any sex, with Chronic Pain. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.
Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.
System Usability Scale (SUS)Primary· Post-Intervention, at 8 weeks for VACT-CP group only
The SUS is a 10-item measure, scored on a 5-point Likert scale from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5), that assesses human-computer interaction. The SUS generates a subjective evaluation score using a globally accepted scale and to understand if the system in its current form is sufficiently usable. To calculate the SUS score, first sum the score contributions from each item. Each item's score contribution will range from 0 to 4. For items 1,3,5,7,and 9 the score contribution is the scale position minus 1. For items 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, the contribution is 5 minus the scale position.
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
79.6
± 12.8
Usability SurveyPrimary· Through study completion (pre and post), on average 8 weeks
The usability survey items are drawn from a questionnaire developed by Wilson and Lankton (2004) to measure a range of health information technology areas. Each item is scored on a 5 point Likert scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree, with an average calculated for each scale ranging from 1 to 5. For the current study, 3 subscales were used: Intrinsic Motivation Scale, Perceived Ease of Use Scale, and Perceived Usefulness: For each scale respectively, higher scores indicating greater levels of motivation, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness.
Baseline Perceived Ease of Use Subscale Score
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
4.08
± .61
Post Perceived Ease of Use Subscale Score
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
3.96
± 1.05
Baseline Intrinsic Motivation Subscale Score
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
3.78
± .77
Post- Intrinsic Motivation Subscale Score
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
3.74
± 1.04
Baseline Perceived Usefulness Subscale Score
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
3.625
± .68
Post- Perceived Usefulness Subscale Score
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
3.66
± .10
Pain Outcomes Questionnaire - VA (POQ - VA)Secondary· Through study completion (pre and post), on average 8 weeks
A 19-item inventory that assesses patient's ability to engage in functional activities related to daily living that may be impacted by pain interference, with the scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 10 (all the time). The scale provides a total score based on the summation of 6 subscales: Pain (1 item, range 0 to 10); Mobility (4 items; range 0 to 40); ADL (4 items, range 0 to 40); Vitality (3 items, range 0 to 30); Negative Affect (5 items, range 0 to 50); and Fear (2 items, range 0 to 20). Scores range from 0 to 190, with higher scores on the POQ-VA indicate higher levels of pain interferin
Baseline POQ total score
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
88
69.5 – 102
VACT-CP Group
93
76.00 – 108.5
Post-Intervention POQ total score
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
83
73.75 – 96
VACT-CP Group
92.5
70.5 – 108.75
The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ)Secondary· Through study completion (pre and post), on average 8 weeks
A 20-item survey measuring recognition of pain as not negating the ability to live valued, meaningful life. The survey also includes two subscales: the Activity Engagement subscale (11 items, range 0 to 77) and Pain Willingness (9 items, range 0 to 63). To score the total CPAQ, add the items for Activity Engagement and Pain Willingness together. Scores range from 0 to 140, with higher scores indicate higher levels of pain acceptance.
Baseline CPAQ total score
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
80
69.3 – 91
VACT-CP Group
66
58 – 81.8
Post-CPAQ total score
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
82
70.5 – 90
VACT-CP Group
80
67.3 – 85.5
Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ)Secondary· Through study completion (pre and post), on average 8 weeks
A 62-item self-report measure of experiential avoidance, including subscales on Behavioral Avoidance (11 items, range 11 to 66), Distress Aversion (13 items, range 13 to 78), Procrastination (7 items, range 7 to 42), Distraction \& Suppression (7 items, range 7 to 42), Repression \& Denial (13 items, range 13 to 78), and Distress Endurance (11 items, range 11 to 66). The scale for all items ranges from 1 (strong disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Greater scores within each subscale indicate greater levels of the named construct, e.g. behavioral avoidance. The current study utilized the behaviora
Baseline MEAQ-Behavioral Avoidance
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
32
24 – 42.25
VACT-CP Group
36.5
26.5 – 45
Post- MEAQ Behavioral Avoidance
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
32.5
27.5 – 42.25
VACT-CP Group
39.5
36 – 44.5
The Chronic Pain Values Inventory (CPVI)Secondary· Through study completion (pre and post), on average 8 weeks
A 12-item self-report measure of the extent to which one is living in accordance with their values in areas such as work, health, and family, which is related to lower perceived disability and pain-related anxiety, as well as greater reported patient functioning even in the context of high levels of pain. Respondents rate each item on a scale from 0 (not at all important /successful) to 5 (extremely important / successful). Two primary scores are obtained in scoring the CPVI - an Importance subscale (6 items, range 0 to 6) and a Success subscale (6 items, range 0 to 6). Using these two scales,
Baseline CPVI-D score
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
1.8
.8 – 2.7
VACT-CP Group
1.8
1 – 2.5
Post- CPVI-D score
Group
Value
95% CI
Waitlist Control Group
1.8
.8 – 2.4
VACT-CP Group
1.5
.7 – 2.6
Pain Numeric Rating ScaleSecondary· Through study completion (pre and post), on average 8 weeks
The Veteran will be asked to rate their current level of pain using a 11-item pain intensity scale from 0 (no pain at all) to 10 (extreme pain). This is a single-item score, which ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater levels of reported pain.
This 8-item scale produces a single total score, with higher scores indicating greater levels of global satisfaction, perceived quality, and effectiveness of a treatment. Individual items are rated on a scale from 1 (low satisfaction) to 4 (high satisfaction), with the total CSQ-8 score obtained by adding the items answered together, with scores ranging from 8 to 32 and higher scores indicating greater levels of satisfaction with a treatment program.
Group
Value
95% CI
VACT-CP Group
23.7
± 5.2
Sponsor's own description
Chronic pain is a serious concern that disproportionately affects Veterans compared to the general public; Veterans are diagnosed with chronic pain at particularly high rates (47 - 56%) with a 40% greater rate of severe pain than non-Veterans. Veterans with chronic pain face numerous negative functional outcomes, including decreased ability to complete daily work activities, less social support from and closeness with family members, increased chronic health conditions (e.g., cancer, heart disease), and higher mortality compared to Veterans without chronic pain. Given these concerns, there is an urgent need for innovative and integrative approaches for non-medical pain self-management management. Despite the critical importance of effective pain self-management programs, many Veterans with chronic pain do not engage in pain self-management programs. In order to improve Veterans' quality of life, it is important to develop and evaluate innovative, accessible, evidence-based interventions for managing chronic pain.
One approach with over twenty years of efficacious treatment for chronic pain is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Chronic Pain (ACT-CP). ACT is a well-established VA-approved approach to chronic pain management, and focuses on committing to behavior change that reflects personal values, leading to significant improvement in life functioning. ACT- CP is associated with substantial improvements in social/work functioning and decreased pain-related medical visits, as long as three years following treatment. For adults with chronic pain, technology-assisted ACT treatment leads to reduced self-reported pain levels and improved health via changes in value-aligned behaviors and mindfulness. The use of interactive technology-assisted ACT treatment is acceptable and efficacious; however, no ACT for chronic pain online treatment exists for Veterans.
The investigators will thus complete a three-phase development, intervention usability and feasibility, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) pilot to create Veteran ACT intervention for chronic pain (VACT-CP). VACT-CP will utilize a personalized, social interface to address pain-related distress and functional difficulties of chronic pain (e.g., avoidance, reactivity), using an online Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) that will walk Veterans through eight weeks of treatment. Studies suggest that the use of such ECAs can increase online-treatment motivation and feedback, resulting in increased treatment compliance and utilization, physical functioning (e.g., increased physical activity and diet fidelity), and client-goal achievement. The primary outcomes for this project will be to (1) develop the VACT-CP user system using feedback from mental health and other clinical professionals treating chronic pain (n = 10), (2) pilot the usability and feasibility of the through iterative usability development and Veteran feedback (n = 12 - 15), and (3) explore the impact of the VACT-CP system in terms of user-experience, functional outcome improvement, and quality of life measures (n = 40).
Publications & conference data
3 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):
NCT07491549 — The Effect of Pain Education Group Therapy and Its Impact on Chronic Pain, Kinesiophobia, and Physical Activity
· NA
· recruiting
NCT07425691 — SPACE for Youth With Chronic Pain
· recruiting
NCT07103135 — Optimizing Accelerated TMS for Chronic Pain With Thompson Sampling
· Phase 1
· recruiting
NCT06219408 — CIH Stepped Care for Co-occurring Chronic Pain and PTSD
· NA
· recruiting
NCT07270406 — Healthy Behaviors for Insomnia Prevention in People With HIV and Ongoing Pain
· NA
· recruiting
Other VA Office of Research and Development trials
Trials by the same sponsor.
NCT07456150 — Personalizing Veteran Pain Care: Adapting Coaching Interventions to Support Maintenance of Self-Care
· Phase 1
· not yet recruiting
NCT06746727 — The Development of a Transdiagnostic Intervention to Improve Social Functioning and Intimate Relationships Among Veteran
· NA
· not yet recruiting
NCT07362576 — Perinatal Peer Support for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness
· NA
· not yet recruiting
NCT06766331 — Integrated Care Versus Usual Care for Opioid Use Disorder and Infectious Diseases in Veterans
· NA
· not yet recruiting
NCT07397195 — ACT for Veterans With IBD and Mental Health Challenges
· NA
· not yet recruiting
Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by VA Office of Research and Development
Last refreshed: 20 February 2025
Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT03655132.