Aligning Care to Treat Pain in Veterans with PTSD: A Demonstration Project

Steve Dobscha MD

Portland VA Medical Center

September 30, 2009

Context• VHA interest in implementing stepped-care • Several recent VA studies have shown that

stepped/collaborative care can be effective for chronic pain and comorbid depression

(Kroenke and Bair (2009) and Dobscha et al (2009))

• Northwest MIRECC and Portland REAP on Comorbid Psychiatric and Medical Conditions offer an opportunity to develop and test clinical demonstration project

• A key focus of NW MIRECC is PTSD

Goals—Demonstration project

• Realign local pain care system to provide high quality pain care for veterans with PTSD

• Improve clinician satisfaction, system efficiency, and patient outcomes and satisfaction

• Develop systemic approaches that can be transported to other clinical settings

• Create structure that facilitates research; generates useful pilot/outcome data

My goals for today

• This is very much work in progress

• Generate discussion, ideas about next steps

• Specific questions:– Specific components of clinical program?– Clinical Demonstration vs. Research?– IRB issues?

Outline

• Background on pain and PTSD

• Promising Treatments/Models– Individual treatments– System approaches

• Demonstration project– Clinical program– Evaluation

• Discussion

Prevalence

• Pain is common– 1/2 of veterans in primary care

• PTSD is common– 7% in general population– Much more that among OEF/OIF veterans

• Co-occurrence is also common– 35% in sample with work-related injury

(Asmundson 1998) to 80% in sample of Viet Nam veterans (Beckham 1997)

• Combination of pain and PTSD is associated with worse outcomes:– Worse pain– More affective distress– Greater rates of disability– Less responsive to treatment (childhood trauma)

• Shared symptoms include:– Autonomic arousal– Irritability– Avoidance– Somatic focus– Catastrophic thinking

Shared vulnerabilities (see Otis et al 2003)

• Biological

• Psychological– Anxiety sensitivity

(fear of arousal related sensations)– Lack of control– Somatic focus (and triggering)– Acceptance– Difficulty focusing on meaning in life

PROMISING MODELS

Integrated treatment—CBT

• Little published about treating conditions concurrently or using integrated model

• Otis is testing integrated CBT approach:– 12 session treatment incorporating elements of

CPT for PTSD and CBT for chronic pain• Address anxiety sensitivity through exposure• Address avoidance• ID maladaptive thoughts (cognitive restructuring)

Behavioral Activation• Currently being tested with veterans with

PTSD (Wagner, Jakupcak)

• Premise: Problems in vulnerable individuals’ lives and behaviors reduce ability to experience + rewards from environments

• Aims to systematically increase activation so that pts experience greater reward in their lives and solve life problems

• Addresses avoidance, worry, acceptance

Behavioral Activation for PTSDConceptualization (Wagner)

Prior Life Functioning Traumatic Events (s) Symptoms*Affective (Mood)*Avoidance Behaviors*Cognitive*Physiological

Restricted Range of BehaviorLess Rewarding Life

Goals*Broadening behavior*Defining values & achieving goals*More fulfilling life

Behavioral ActivationFocus: Present centered therapy Working from the outside-in

Acceptance and CommitmentTherapy

• Focus on accepting rather than modifying internal experience

• Emphasizes behavioral shift towards seeking a valued life

• Some studies for pain (Geisser 1992, Gutierrez 2004,

McCracken 1998); some more recent application to PTSD (Orsillo and Batten 2005)

Common therapy elements

CBT structure including:

• Acceptance

• Activation

• Seeking meaning in life

Opioid Renewal Clinic(Wiedemer and Gallagher)

• Goals– Provide appropriate treatment for each

patient, opioid therapy when indicated, addictions treatment when indicated

– Assist confidence of PCPs in prescribing– Improve monitoring and documentation– Reduce costs through:

• Decrease misuse or overuse of resources• Decrease oxycodone SA use

• Managed by NP and Pharmacist supported by a multidisciplinary pain management team

• Located in primary care clinic• PCPs sent consults after completing opioid

treatment agreement and doing baseline UDS• Team developed individualized treatment plans,

monitored and worked with patients over time

Opioid Renewal Clinic—Results

• # of opioid treatment agreements increased• Decline in ED and unscheduled primary care visits

• Providers satisfied

• Of 171 patients referred for aberrant behaviors, 38% self-discharged

• 13% referred for addictions treatment

• Greater use of UDS by PCPs

• Decreased prescribing of oxycodone SA

Key Steps in the Treatment of Any Chronic Disease

Systematic Screening

Other Identification

Initial AssessmentAnd Triage

Treatment Initiation

OutcomeMonitoring

TreatmentAdjustments

Adapted/borrowed (with permission) from:David Oslin, MDMIRECC VISN-4 VA PhiladelphiaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Behavioral Health Lab (Oslin 2004)Annual

ScreeningDirect consult

New treatment for depression

Consult request

BHL Assessment

Referral to BHC

Recommendations to PCP and Patient

Enroll in Depressionmonitoring

Referral toSpecific Research

No referrals made

F/U Monitoring – 3 months

Watchful Waiting – 8

weeks

Referral Management

Levels of care• VISN 20 ACA

– LEVEL 1:• Limited support and

education needs• Can readily receive pain

tx in primary care

– LEVEL 2:• More complex, with

comorbid conditions• More intensive tx needs

but likely go back to PCP

– LEVEL 3:• Complex• Need specialty care

• VHA Opioid Group– LOW RISK

• No previous hx SUD• Primary Care can

manage

– MEDIUM RISK• Past SUD or some

concerns• Primary care based tx

with assistance

– HIGH RISK• Active SUD• Other aberrant concerns• Co-manage with PCP

Treatment Approach Treatment Options

Direct consult +PTSD screen in pt with pain

Consult request

BHL-PAP Triage Assessment

Complex Care Module

Preliminary Recs. to PCP and PMHCPEducation and Recs. to Patient

PTSD specialtycare

BasicConsult

F/U Monitoring

PCP/PMHCP management

Interven-tional care

+ pain screen in PTSD pt

Opioid renewal clinic

DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

Collaborative caremodule

If TBI, Neuropsych. assess.

Basic Consult (Level 1 patients)

• Minimal active comorbidity

• Veteran currently using biopsychosocial approach; minimal barriers to learning

• Motivated to use educational materials, report back to BHL-PAP for assistance

• OR not interested in further care

• Pain Internist confers with BHL-PAP technician to develop recommendations for patient and provider

Collaborative Module (Level 2)

• Nurse Care Manager (NCM) provides initial assessment, patient education/activation

• Provider and Family education/support

• Develops treatment plan with Pain Internist

• X-sessions individual psychosocial Tx (telephone?, Internet?)—testing ground?

• Time-limited or consultative psychopharmacologic care for pain, PTSD+

• Stepped specialty care (incl. PTSD, TBI, specialty care) or referral to Complex care

Complex Care (Level 3)

• Northwest Pain Network already provides multidisciplinary assessment including limited addictions consultation; add PTSD expertise

• Nurse added to monitor/support pts over time

• Expand Addictions assessment & follow-up

• Utilize additional collaborative module treatment as appropriate

• Opioid Renewal Clinic used when patients taking opioids

Evaluation Clinical outcomes Process Outcomes• Pain-related function,

pain severity• PTSD, depression &

alcohol misuse severity

• Global assessment of change

• SF-12 health status• Satisfaction with pain

care

• Demographics • Diagnoses• Prescriptions• Indicators of potential

opioid misuse • Utilization of visits• Presence of opioid

treatment agreement• VA healthcare costs• Providers’ satisfaction