Responding to COVID-19 threats to trial conduct: lessons learned from a feasibility trial of a psychological intervention for South African adolescents

Myers, Bronwyn; Westhuizen, Claire van der; Pool, Megan; Hornsby, Nancy; Sorsdahl, Katherine

doi:10.1186/s13063-021-05400-8

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Recent work in low- and middle-income countries suggests that some groups may experience structural and cultural barriers to technology-based research, even when it is necessary [ 13 , 14 ]. Thus, it is important to explore means of inclusive research that enable diverse voices to be heard.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This includes a range of activities, such as teaching [ 6 ], and the provision of medical treatment, ranging from services for neurology [ 7 ] and psychology [ 8 , 9 ] to midwifery and occupational therapy [ 10 ], physiotherapy [ 11 ], and yoga classes [ 12 ]. Research has also been forced to move online so as not to lose momentum, but evidence is emerging that this presents new challenges, as switching to remote data collection is not always seamless and can be difficult for participants [ 13 , 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Virtual World Café Method for Identifying Mental Health Research Priorities: Methodological Case Study

Banfield

Gulliver

Morse

2021

IJERPH

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People with lived experience of mental health problems as both consumers and carers can bring significant expertise to the research process. However, the methods used to gather this information and their subsequent results can vary markedly. This paper describes the methods for two virtual World Cafés held to gather data on consumer and carer priorities for mental health research. Several methodological processes and challenges arose during data collection, including the achieved recruitment for each group (n = 4, n = 7) falling significantly short of the target number of 20 participants per group. This led to departures from planned methods (i.e., the use of a single ‘room’, rather than multiple breakout rooms). Despite this, the participants in the virtual World Cafés were able to generate over 200 ideas for research priorities, but not identify agreed-upon priorities. Virtual World Cafés can quickly generate a significant volume of data; however, they may not be as effective at generating consensus.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual World Café Method for Identifying Mental Health Research Priorities: Methodological Case Study

Banfield

Gulliver

Morse

2021

IJERPH

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“…Providers described low rates of engagement in virtual services largely due to patients having limited access to mobile phones and privacy concerns. Other studies also noted privacy issues and inconsistent access to data, hardware and technology (often due to economic hardship) as barriers to young people (who use substances) engaging in telehealth services in this setting [25]. Arguably these factors may have contributed to the higher rates of disengagement from treatment observed by our participants during this time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

COVID 19—impact on substance use treatment utilization and provision in South Africa

Harker

Johnson

Erasmus

et al. 2022

Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy

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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted people with substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore, changes in the number of SUD treatment episodes provided during the height of the pandemic and, SUD treatment providers’ perceptions of the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions on people with SUDs and the delivery of SUD treatment services in South Africa. Methods We used administrative data collected as part of the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU) project to assess whether the number of treatment episodes changed during the height of COVID-19 restrictions. We used data from an online survey of SUD treatment providers to assess providers’ perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on SUD treatment delivery. Eight seven SUD facilities were recruited to participate in the online survey. Results Sixty-three organisations (out of a total of 86) participated in the survey, yielding a 73.2% response rate. About half (n = 30; 47.6%) of the sample thought the need for SUD treatment had remained the same or had increased during the COVID-19 lockdown. Half the sample (n = 32; 50.7%) reported decreased availability of SUD services during COVID-19 lockdowns. Participants believed that the lack of services during COVID-19 lockdown impacted negatively on patients that were enrolled in their programmes and on individuals who wished to access the service. Furthermore, changes in service provision seemed to increase patients’ anxiety, exacerbate pre-existing mental health problems and in some cases were thought to precipitate relapse. In addition, patient disengagement and attrition from treatment were thought to have increased during this period. Whilst 47.6% (n = 30) of providers agreed with the value of the alcohol ban, 23.8% (n = 15) of providers thought it had unintended negative consequences. Conclusion Based on the findings it is evident that SUD treatment services in South Africa have been significantly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and more severely during the onset of the pandemic. Together with service providers, more effective ways should be sought on how to feasibly expand access to SUD treatment for all South Africans and enhance the country’s preparedness for future health emergencies.

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“…Over half of the respondents reported using the skills learned in class "at least a few times a week" to "daily." The word cloud generated from the responses of 16 participants to the open-ended question "Overall, what did you find most useful in the course?" identified 110 unique words.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our study adds to the few existing resources [14][15][16][17] on adapting recruitment procedures, protocols for study implementation, and lessons learned for transitioning in-person RCTs to virtual delivery. Major changes from the transition to a virtual format included recruitment, modifications to the study procedures, and intervention delivery.…”

Section: Principal Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons Learned From Transition of an In-Person to a Virtual Randomized Controlled Trial for Weight and Fitness Concerns in Active-Duty Service Members: Survey Study

Afari¹,

Golaszewski²,

Wooldridge³

et al. 2022

J Med Internet Res

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Background This paper describes and discusses the transition of and modifications to a weight management randomized controlled trial among active-duty military personnel from an in-person to a virtual format as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The original pragmatic cohort-randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the effectiveness of an 8-week group weight management program, ShipShape, to a version of ShipShape enhanced with acceptance and commitment therapy. Objective The objective of our study was to assess potential differences between in-person and virtual participation in participants’ demographics, motivation, confidence, credibility, expectations, and satisfaction with the interventions; we also examined the pragmatics of the technology and participants’ experiences in virtual-format intervention groups. Methods A total of 178 active-duty personnel who had failed or were at risk of failing their physical fitness assessment or were overweight or obese were enrolled in the study. In-person (n=149) and virtual (n=29) participants reported demographics, motivation, confidence, credibility, expectations, and satisfaction. Interventionists recorded attendance and participation in the group sessions. Independent-sample 2-tailed t tests and chi-square tests were used to compare the characteristics of the in-person and virtual participants. Pragmatics of the technology and participants’ experiences in the virtual format were assessed through surveys and open-ended questions. Results Participants were 29.7 (SD 6.9) years old on average, 61.8% (110/178) female, and 59.6% (106/178) White and had an average BMI of 33.1 (SD 3.9) kg/m2. Participants were highly motivated to participate and confident in their ability to complete a weight management program. A total of 82.6% (147/178) of all participants attended 5 of the 8 sessions, and participation was rated as “excellent” by interventionists in both formats. The interventions were found to be credible and to have adequate expectations for effectiveness and high satisfaction in both formats. There were no differences between in-person and virtual participants in any of these metrics, other than interventionist-rated participation, for which virtual participants had significantly higher ratings (P<.001). Technical satisfaction with the virtual sessions was rated as “good” to “very good,” and participants were satisfied with the content of the virtual sessions. A word cloud of responses identified “mindfulness,” “helpful,” “different,” “food,” “binder,” and “class” as concepts the virtual participants found most useful about the program. Conclusions Modifications made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were successful, given the recruitment of active-duty personnel with similar demographic characteristics, attendance levels, and indicators of credibility, expectancy, and satisfaction in the virtual format and the in-person format. This successful transition provides support for the use of virtual or digital weight management interventions to increase accessibility and reach among highly mobile active-duty personnel. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03029507; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03029507

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Responding to COVID-19 threats to trial conduct: lessons learned from a feasibility trial of a psychological intervention for South African adolescents

Cited by 10 publications

References 36 publications

Virtual World Café Method for Identifying Mental Health Research Priorities: Methodological Case Study

Virtual World Café Method for Identifying Mental Health Research Priorities: Methodological Case Study

COVID 19—impact on substance use treatment utilization and provision in South Africa

Lessons Learned From Transition of an In-Person to a Virtual Randomized Controlled Trial for Weight and Fitness Concerns in Active-Duty Service Members: Survey Study

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