JOINT CCCAHP SEMINAR - Evaluation and optimisation of the Tinnitus E-Programme, an internet-based intervention for tinnitus self-management Seminar

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Internet-based self-management interventions have the potential to reduce the current disparity in access to psychological support for people with tinnitus. One such example is the Tinnitus E-Programme, which was developed in the UK. Although freely available online, there was little understanding of how the intervention is used, its active ingredients, how it works, the circumstances in which it works best, and whom it works best for. My PhD aimed to address these issues by evaluating and optimising the Tinnitus E-Programme. A mixed methods process evaluation explored past, current, and new users views and usage of the Tinnitus E-Programme (1.0), demonstrating that, overall, it was acceptable to people with tinnitus. However, its implementation was limited by issues of usability, engagement, and adherence. Consistent with a person-based approach, these findings were used alongside evidence-based (i.e. systematic and literature reviews) and theory-based (i.e. behavioural analysis and logic modelling) approaches to develop the Tinnitus E-Programme 2.0. Think aloud interviews with people with tinnitus revealed that this optimised version was acceptable to its target users. This PhD also highlighted how users’ pre-existing beliefs regarding tinnitus and self-management, their perceptions of relevance, and the nature of tinnitus, can influence users’ engagement with the Tinnitus E-Programme 1.0 and 2.0.