Self-regulation training for chronic pain: can it be done effectively by telemedicine?

The purpose of this project was to test the efficacy of behavioral telemedicine interventions designed to teach self-regulation skills to chronic pain patients who had not previously been treated. The study sought to determine whether there were differences in outcome and consumer satisfaction with the pain management intervention when delivered by conventional face-to-face methods, by telephone only, and by closed circuit TV (CCTV). We found that self-regulation techniques can be readily taught via behavioral telemedicine interventions. The primary methodologic weakness of the study is that a single experienced clinician provided all of the interventions. Thus, it is not known at this time how well the intervention can be generalized to other clinicians. In addition, there was no control on the administration of the protocols across conditions.