Virtual Intelligence for Transformative Lifestyle Solutions in Pain
Montefiore Medical Center
Summary
This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a VR-based chronic pain management intervention with a virtual AI coach for patients with Opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OM/OUD). The intervention is a single-day 45-minute VR intervention which is subdivided into three smaller sessions: Session 1: A 15-minute AI check-in to ask questions about biopsychosocial health, Session 2: A 20-minute Pain Coping Skills Training (PCST) session offering psychoeducation on managing chronic pain Session 3: A 10-minute stress reduction exercise. The VR sessions will be conducted using hardware (VR Headset Device - Meta Quest 3) and software developed by AugMend Health Company. The study will be conducted in a clinical setting at the Montefiore Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Program (MMPP), a Pain Medicine outpatient specialty practice within a major urban medical center. MMPP providers see thousands of patients every month, some of which have concurrent opioid misuse or OM/OUD.
Description
Opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OM/OUD) constitute a persistent public health emergency that is projected to escalate. In 2018, about 2 million individuals in the US had an OM/OUD, associated with a high mortality rate of approximately 130 daily deaths, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and other poor health outcomes. Further interventions are needed to reduce the impact of opioid misuse, OM/OUD, and overdose. Chronic pain affects over 100 million individuals in the United States, and opioids prescribed to treat pain can increase risks of misuse, physiological dependence, and OM/OUD. Rese…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with opioid misuse or International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis of opioid use disorder * Patients with Chronic pain of at least moderate intensity (\>4 Pain Intensity Score) with no pain medication changes in 14 days * Ability to understand written/spoken instruction and provide informed consent in English * Ability and willingness to participate in all components of the study Exclusion Criteria: * History of severe motion sickness, cybersickness, or conditions that could make participation in VR hazardous or cause adverse effec…
Interventions
- DeviceVR Headset Device - Meta Quest 3
The VR sessions will be conducted using hardware and software developed by AugMend Health Company. The AI-guided sessions will be administered using the commercially available Meta Quest 3 headset, which delivers high-resolution VR images and spatial audio through a standalone, wireless system.
Location
- Montefiore Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Program (MMPP) at Montefiore Einstein Hutchinson CampusThe Bronx, New York