A pilot study of prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder delivered via telehealth technology

TLDR

The study evaluates the feasibility and clinical effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy delivered via telehealth to 12 combat‑related PTSD veterans. A pilot trial compared telehealth PE with in‑person PE in 35 veterans, assessing technical performance, safety, completion rates, session numbers, and symptom outcomes. Telehealth PE produced large, statistically significant reductions in self‑reported PTSD symptoms and demonstrated feasibility and safety. The authors provide recommendations for implementing telehealth‑based prolonged exposure therapy.

Abstract

Abstract The authors present a pilot study of 12 veterans diagnosed with combat‐related PTSD and treated with prolonged exposure therapy (PE) via telehealth technology. A reference sample of 35 combat veterans treated with in‐person PE in the same clinic is also included for a comparison. Feasibility and clinical outcomes of interest include technical performance and practicality of the telehealth equipment, patient safety, treatment completion rates, number of sessions required for termination, and clinical outcomes. Results indicated large statistically significant decreases in self‐reported pathology for veterans treated with PE via telehealth technology. Preliminary results support the feasibility and safety of the modality. Suggestions for the implementation of PE via telehealth technology are discussed.