Outcome and Patient Preferences for Contact in an Internet­administered CBT Treatment for OCD

Effective treatments for OCD exist, however multiple barriers reduce access to these treatments. An innovative way to reduce barriers is to provide treatment remotely, and internetadministered remote treatment has been shown to be efficacious in OCD. In addition, there is some evidence to suggest that some people prefer this low­intensity treatment approach to more traditional face­to­face treatment. Remote treatment often includes a component of therapist support, which is generally provided in person, over the telephone or over email. However there is limited information on patient preferences for this clinical contact. In this study participants completed a 17­week internet based cognitive­behavioral treatment program (OCFighter), which is based on the treatment model delivered in BT STEPS. Throughout the treatment, the internet program was supplemented with minimal therapist contact, which was completed either in person or over the phone, depending on participant preference. To date 13 participants have commenced the study, (M age = 31.46, SD = 11.51). Preliminary results from the first 2 completers indicate significant improvement on the Yale­Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale with within­groups effect sizes (Cohen’s d) at post­treatment of 2.09. Posttreatment results from 25 completers are expected by November 2013. In terms of patient preferences, 85% of participants have preferred treatment delivery over the phone to face­toface treatment. These promising preliminary results provide additional support for the efficacy of remote treatment for OCD. Remote treatment is less time intensive, more cost­effective and overcomes many of the barriers to accessing traditional face to face treatment. Results on patient preferences for contact are important in terms of the future development of remote and stepped care models of treatment for individuals with OCD.