Researchers in Australia examined the feasibility of implementing an enhanced version of the TSOS collaborative care intervention for patients at risk of persistent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pain symptoms after major traumatic injury. They found the intervention was highly valued by most participants and could be implemented at low cost in the trauma system in Victoria, Australia.
The report was published this month in Disability and Rehabilitation.
The TSOS study, an NIH Collaboratory Trial led by principal investigator Doug Zatzick of the University of Washington, was a stepped-wedge, cluster randomized pragmatic clinical trial testing the delivery of a stepped collaborative care intervention vs usual care for injured patients with PTSD symptoms and comorbid conditions.
In the feasibility study in Australia, the researchers enrolled patients who had a range of complex clinical and social experiences and trauma-related concerns, many of whom would have been excluded from traditional trials of psychology-informed interventions. The study offers preliminary evidence for whether the intervention led to reduced PTSD symptoms and pain-related disability. Future effectiveness and efficacy studies will be needed.
TSOS was supported within the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory by a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Mental Health. Learn more about the NIH Collaboratory Trials.