Telemedicine Treatment for Veterans with Gulf War Illness
Principal Investigator: Donald S. Ciccone, Ph.D.
Objective: The primary aim of the proposed study is to determine the clinical efficacy of telephone cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI) who are frequent consumers of ambulatory medical care. Other aims of the study are to determine whether CBT for veterans with GWI leads to a reduction in the cost of VA health care and to develop a statistical model of treatment seeking in veterans with GWI who are frequent consumers of ambulatory medical care.
Research Plan: A total of 150 eligible veterans who utilize VA health care services at the 80th percentile (or above) and satisfy diagnostic criteria for Gulf War Illness (GWI) will participate in a randomized controlled trial of Telephone CBT with one year follow up. The following three groups consisting of 50 veterans each will be included: (1) Telephone CBT + Customary Medical Care; (2) In-Person CBT + Customary Medical Care; and (3) Customary Medical Care Only. Participants in the Telephone and In-Person CBT groups will receive an equivalent amount of CBT training (10 sessions at weekly intervals). Aside from face-to-face contact, participants in the Telephone group will receive the same manualized CBT treatment as those in the In-Person group. Investigators will collect self-report data at enrollment, as well as 3, 6, 9, and 12-month follow up (from enrollment).
Impact: A long-term goal of the proposed research is to make specialized CBT services available to veterans regardless of their geographic location or their proximity to qualified providers.
Status: Project is ongoing. The study will soon be recruiting participants.