A Patient Friendly Summary
🎯 What Was the Goal of the Study?
The COPES trial asked a simple but important question:
Can people with chronic pain benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) delivered by phone, without needing to travel to a clinic?
Researchers wanted to find out if a phone-based system could help reduce pain-related challenges and improve quality of life—just like traditional, in-person therapy.
🔍 How Was the Clinical Trial Done?
- Who participated: Veterans living with chronic musculoskeletal pain (like back, neck, shoulder, or joint pain).
- What they tried:
- Phone-Based CBT: Participants received weekly lessons through an automated phone system (Interactive Voice Response, or IVR), plus coaching calls.
- In-Person CBT: Traditional one-on-one CBT sessions at a VA clinic.
- Duration: 4 months of treatment, with follow-up afterward.
đź“Š What Did the Study Find?
Both groups—phone-based CBT and in-person CBT—showed similar improvements in:
- Daily function (less pain interference in activities)
- Pain intensity
- Depression and sleep quality
- Confidence in managing pain
The phone-based program:
- Was just as effective as in-person therapy
- Made it easier for people in rural areas or with mobility issues to access care
đź’ˇ What Do These Results Mean for Someone Living with Chronic Pain?
This study shows that you don’t have to go to a clinic to get real help.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for pain—when delivered through a simple phone system—can be just as effective as going to see a therapist in person.
This is a big step forward for:
- Veterans and civilians in rural areas
- People with limited mobility, transportation, or time
- Anyone who wants accessible, non-drug pain management support
đź“š Reference
Krein SL, Heapy AA, Hagedorn H, et al. Cooperative Pain Education and Self-management (COPES) Trial: A Randomized Clinical Trial of CBT for Chronic Pain by Phone.
Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, 2020.
Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33313733/
âś… This article was developed with the support of ChatGPT by OpenAI for research and editing assistance.