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

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.