PP1310 - Tinnitus Management Through Mobile App Combined with Telepsychology

Abstract:
This study evaluated the effectiveness of an iCBT app for reducing tinnitus distress, in combination with or without telepsychology. Twenty-eight adults were randomly assigned to either the App-only group (A) or App with telepsychology (A+P). After 16 weeks, 61% of participants showed a clinically significant decrease in tinnitus distress. At 8 weeks, 42% of the A group and 64% of the A+P group achieved this reduction. Although the A+P group had a larger overall improvement, no significant difference between groups was found. The findings suggest both methods can help tinnitus sufferers, but more research is needed to optimize treatment.

Summary:
Introduction
Research has shown that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment option for patients experiencing distressing tinnitus. While the traditional delivery of CBT involves time with a psychologist, recent research into the efficacy of internet-based CBT (iCBT) has shown that it is cost-effective and accessible. Moreover, The advent of conversational agents or a "chatbot" that can deliver CBT exercises in a conversational manner and allow users to work through complex situations with guidance from a virtual coach has been promising. As the primary endpoint, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the App iCBT chatbot program, in reducing tinnitus distress, when combined with or without human-delivered telepsychology.

Methods
Twenty-eight adult participants were randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. One group received only the App program (A), while the other received App with four sessions of 30-minute teleconsultation with a psychologist within 8 weeks (A+P). The primary outcome measure was the Tinnitus Function Index while secondary measures included

Results
9 out of 14 participants (~61%) showed a clinically significant decrease in tinnitus distress ( >13 Tinnitus Functional Index point decrease) 16 weeks post-intervention in both groups. The results after 8 weeks of therapy differ between the two groups. 6 out of 14 (42%) had a clinically significant decrease in TFI when provided with app only while 9 out of 14 had a significant decrease when app was combined with telepsychology. Even though the mean TFI decrease was larger for the T+P group compared to the T group, a mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant between-group interaction effects (time by group interaction: F2,52 P=0.71)

Conclusion
Overall, the study suggests that the app iCBT chatbot program in isolation or in combination with telepsychology counselling can be effective in helping patients who experience distressful tinnitus. More research is needed to determine the optimal mode of delivery for different patient groups.