(PS3-89) Uptake and Feasibility of a Virtual Training Program in Cystic Fibrosis-specific CBT (CF-CBT)

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic, life-limiting genetic disease affecting over 100,000 people worldwide. Despite treatment advances, a significant physical and emotional burden remains, with rates of depression and anxiety 2 to 3 times that of the general population. CF-CBT is an 8-session telehealth CF-specific cognitive-behavioral therapy-based program developed in partnership with the CF community to address the need for evidence-based resilience-promoting interventions integrated into existing systems of CF health care.

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-hour live virtual training of CF-CBT delivered in the context of a dissemination and implementation trial to increase access to training for CF healthcare team members across the United States and Canada. Attendees (N=49) completed pre- and post-training surveys to assess training feasibility and acceptability. Participants from 43 CF centers in the US, Canada, UK and Argentina attended. Most were social workers (82%), 10% were psychologists, and 8% were pulmonologists and other medical/pediatric physicians treating people with CF. Previous experience using psychological interventions varied; 10% had no experience, 33% had a little experience, 35% had quite a bit of experience, and 22% had a lot of experience. Previous experience with CBT techniques also varied; 12% had no experience, 55% had a little experience, 23% had quite a bit of experience, and 10% had a lot of experience.  

Attendees self-assessed their knowledge and comfort level with 5 general (e.g., “assigning homework for the patient to practice skills at home”) and 11 module-specific, (e.g., “introducing the concept of exposure in learning to manage anxiety”) CF-CBT delivery skills pre- and post-training on a 5-point scale from “poor” to “excellent”. A non-parametric signed-rank test compared pre- and post-training scores. Mean knowledge scores improved significantly with the implementation of the CF-CBT training {M pre-training=2.93 (0.85) vs. M post-training=4.07 (0.68), p< 0.0001}. Mean comfort scores also improved significantly {M pre-training=3.53 (0.60) vs. M post-training=4.33 (0.48), p< 0.0001}. The training was viewed positively; 95.9% of attendees felt that they got what they wanted out of participating and were very or extremely satisfied with the training. Additionally, 100% endorsed that their overall confidence in being able to administer CF-CBT improved by participating in this training and 98% indicated that they will use CF-CBT in their clinical practice. Results suggest that a live virtual training format is an effective and acceptable model to implement across CF centers, improving access to an empirically supported mental health intervention for adults with CF.