Hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of guided relaxation and acupuncture for chronic sickle cell disease pain (GRACE): A protocol

Background: People with sickle cell disease frequently use complementary and integrative therapies to cope with their pain, yet few studies have evaluated their effectiveness. The 3-arm, 3-site pragmatic Hybrid Effectiveness-implementation Trial of Guided Relaxation and Acupuncture for Chronic Sickle Cell Disease Pain (GRACE) has 3 priorities: (1) evaluate guided relaxation and acupuncture to improve pain control; (2) determine the most appropriate and effective treatment sequence for any given patient based on their unique characteristics; and (3) describe the processes and structures required to implement guided relaxation and acupuncture within health care systems.

Methods: Participants (N = 366) are being recruited and randomized 1:1:1 to one of 2 intervention groups or usual care. The acupuncture intervention group receives 10 sessions over approximately 5 weeks. The guided relaxation intervention group receives access to video sessions ranging from 2 to 20 min each viewed daily over 5 weeks. The usual care group receives the standard of clinical care for sickle cell disease. Participants are re-randomized at 6 weeks depending on their pain impact score. Assessments occur at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in pain impact score and secondary measures include opioid use, anxiety, depression, sleep, pain catastrophizing, substance use, global impression of change, constipation, and hospitalizations. The GRACE study uses the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to plan, execute, and evaluate the associated implementation processes.

Conclusion: The results from GRACE will represent a critical step toward improving management of pain affecting patients with sickle cell disease.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04906447.