In-Person Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy vs. Automated Interactive Voice-Response CBT for Chronic Back Pain

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective for improving both pain and function in patients with chronic back pain, but such therapy often is difficult to provide, and patients' adherence to CBT visits is low. Interactive voice-response CBT (IVR-CBT) uses automated telephone technology to allow patients to report symptoms, pain, and function and provides pre-recorded messages of support and education.

In a Veterans Affairs study, researchers randomized 125 patients (mean age, 58) with chronic back pain (average duration, 11 years) and without complicating medical or surgical comorbidities to in-person CBT (30- to 40-minute sessions weekly) or IVR-CBT for 10 weeks. All participants reported symptoms daily through an interactive voice…