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Myocardial IschemiaOPTIMIZENCT05896982

Optimizing Patient Experience During Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

A study testing Care as usual with information support, Care as usual with supportive coaching and Care as usual with information support and supportive coaching in people with Myocardial Ischemia and Myocardial Infarction, run by Tilburg University at 1 site in Netherlands.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The present study focusses on the effects of the diagnostic testing environment on psychological wellbeing, cardiac symptoms and patient satisfaction during cardiac stress testing (CST) in patients who are referred to the Institute Verbeeten for SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Care as usual with information support, Care as usual with supportive coaching and Care as usual with information support and supportive coaching
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
149 participants
Where
1 siteNetherlands
Study dates
2 Nov 2022to 1 Jun 2024
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • referred to the Institute Verbeeten Tilburg and eligible for adenosine-exercise SPECT MPI
  • capable of answering questionnaires and receiving information and coaching in Dutch.

Who cannot join

  • a life-threatening disease with < 1 year survival (e.g., metastatic cancer)
  • refusal to informed consent.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Netherlands1 site
  • Institute Verbeeten

    Tilburg, North Brabant, 5042 SB

Other trials in Netherlands

About this study

The present study focusses on the effects of the diagnostic testing environment on psychological wellbeing, cardiac symptoms and patient satisfaction during cardiac stress testing (CST) in patients who are referred to the Institute Verbeeten for SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).

The diagnostic procedure consists of two days of MPI using SPECT: day 1 of MPI involves obtaining a resting image and day 2 (typically 3 or 4 days later) a stress MPI following exercise or pharmacological challenge with adenosine. The diagnostic procedure can result in undesirable effects on psychological wellbeing, such as anxiety or psychological distress. These effects can be related to anticipatory anxiety (day 1 of MPI) and/or responses to the exercise or adenosine stress testing (day 2 of MPI). The present investigation aims to develop methods to further improve patients' experiences and wellbeing during the diagnostic process for the presence of inducible myocardial ischemia.

This research project will compare four groups to establish the effect of providing information and supportive coaching: (1) care as usual, (2) information support using video materials, (3) supportive coaching during the diagnostic testing procedure, and (4) a combination of both interventions. The video-based information and supportive coaching are aimed at reducing feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and psychological distress during the diagnostic testing procedure. In addition to standardized self-report questionnaires, this project will utilize facial expression analysis software to measure emotional states during CST as well as 24- hour ambulatory assessments to evaluate autonomic nervous system activity, cardiac symptoms and psychological wellbeing during everyday life activities in the period between the two days of MPI. It is hypothesized that additional video-based information and supportive coaching during the diagnostic process for the inducibility of myocardial ischemia will result in improved psychological wellbeing (reduced acute negative emotions; primary outcome) as well as less cardiac and other physical symptoms and improved patient satisfaction (secondary outcomes) of the diagnostic clinic visit. The innovative aspect of the present proposal is its focus on emotional expression during evaluation for myocardial ischemia using FaceReader software in combination with self-reported momentary mood and perceived stress assessments. Knowledge about the interaction between psychological wellbeing and cardiac function obtained in this project will strengthen the development of future interventions aimed to reduce symptom burden and psychological distress in patients undergoing diagnostic evaluations for heart disease.

Being tested
Care as usual with information support, Care as usual with supportive coaching, Care as usual with information support and supportive coaching
Medical subject headings
Myocardial Ischemia, Myocardial Infarction, Primary Dysautonomias

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Care as usual with information supportOther

    Comprises of additional visual information in the form of two videos that show details about the procedure on both days of the MPI diagnostic procedure. Each of these two videos are approximately 5 minutes long and are made available to the patients before the first day (video 1), and in between the first and second day (video 2).

  • Care as usual with supportive coachingOther

    Patients receive coaching from one person who is present throughout the complete diagnostic process. The coach is available for answering questions as well as comforting the patients when necessary (e.g., to reassure patients if they are anxious or stressed).

  • Care as usual with information support and supportive coachingOther

    This intervention comprises additional visual information in the form of two videos and coaching throughout the diagnostic process as described above.

Study groups in NCT05896982
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Care as usualNo interventionPatients in this group will not receive any additional information materials or support on top of care as usual, but information videos will be made available after completion of the MPI procedures.
Care as usual with information supportExperimentalPatients in this group will primarily receive additional information on the diagnostic process that they will go through with the use of video materials. Supportive coaching will not be provided in this group.
Receives: Other: Care as usual with information support
Care as usual with supportive coachingExperimentalPatients in this group will receive supportive coaching throughout their clinic visit. The coach is available for questions as well as specific support for each patient. Information support using video materials will not be supplied to the patients during the diagnostic process in this group, but will be made available after completion of the MPI procedures.
Receives: Other: Care as usual with supportive coaching
Care as usual with information support and supportive coachingExperimentalPatients in this group will receive both information support as well as supportive coaching during their diagnostic clinic visit.
Receives: Other: Care as usual with information support and supportive coaching

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Psychological wellbeing - self report using Profile of Mood States

    Will be assessed using self-report measures of emotional states on a scale from 0 to 10 (stressed, anxious, insecure, relaxed, worried, irritated, excited, and tired) with a higher score representing more of this emotional state.These measures of psychological well-being will be compared between the four groups.

    Measured: During the two day diagnostic process.

  2. Psychological wellbeing - Facial expressions of emotions

    Will be assessed using facial expression of emotions based on video recordings during the diagnostic testing procedure. Facial expressions will be analyzed (valence and intensity; e.g., anxiety) using FaceReader software as in our prior METC-approved research projects at Institute Verbeeten. A value between 0 and 1 will be the outcome measure for each emotion (happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, disgusted and neutral). These measures of psychological well-being will be compared between the four groups.

    Measured: During the stress test on day 2.

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Cardiac symptoms

    The intensity of cardiac symptoms and other common symptoms during MPI SPECT (e.g., headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea) will be assessed using self-report measures on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher scores represent a higher intensity of the symptoms.

    Measured: During the two day diagnostic process.

  2. Patient experience - PSQ-18

    Patient experience and satisfaction of the clinic visit, cardiac tests, and coaching will be assessed using a validated questionnaire with a higher score representing a better patient experience.

    Measured: At the end of the two day diagnostic process.

  3. Physiological measures - heart rate

    During the cardiac stress test, heart rate is routinely collected. This data will be used as a physiological measure that is relevant to emotional experiences, cardiac symptoms, and the inducibility of myocardial ischemia.

    Measured: During the cardiac stress test on the second day of the diagnostic process.

  4. Physiological measure - blood pressure

    During the cardiac stress test, blood pressure is routinely collected. This data will be used as a physiological measure that is relevant to emotional experiences, cardiac symptoms, and the inducibility of myocardial ischemia.

    Measured: During the cardiac stress test on the second day of the diagnostic process.

  5. Ambulatory ECG monitoring

    A 24-hour Holter-ECG will be used to assess heart rate variability during everyday life activities. These assessments are obtained out-of-clinic during the day between the resting and stress MPI SPECT assessment.

    Measured: For 24 hours between the first and second day of the diagnostic process.

  6. SPECT images

    As part of the patient's clinical care, single-photon emission computed tomography will be used to obtain myocardial perfusion images on the rest and cardiac stress test days. The presence or absence of ischemia can be evaluated based on these images.

    Measured: At the end of the first and second day of the diagnostic process.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Jun 2023
  2. Study start2 Nov 2022
  3. Primary completion5 Feb 2024
  4. Study completion1 Jun 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Factorial
Model description
Experimental 2x2 factorial design.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
149 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05896982
Sponsor's protocol ID
NL81600.028.22
Acronym
OPTIMIZE
Status last verified
Apr 2025
First submitted
15 Mar 2023
Last updated
27 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Adelstein SJ. Administered radionuclides in pregnancy. Teratology. 1999 Apr;59(4):236-9. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9926(199904)59:43.0.CO;2-6.

    PubMed 10331526
  • Baik SH, Fox RS, Mills SD, Roesch SC, Sadler GR, Klonoff EA, Malcarne VL. Reliability and validity of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 in Hispanic Americans with English or Spanish language preference. J Health Psychol. 2019 Apr;24(5):628-639. doi: 10.1177/1359105316684938. Epub 2017 Jan 5.

    PubMed 28810432
  • Bekendam MT, Mommersteeg PMC, Vermeltfoort IAC, Widdershoven JW, Kop WJ. Facial Emotion Expression and the Inducibility of Myocardial Ischemia During Cardiac Stress Testing: The Role of Psychological Background Factors. Psychosom Med. 2022 Jun 1;84(5):588-596. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001085. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

    PubMed 35420591
  • Bekendam MT, Vermeltfoort IAC, Kop WJ, Widdershoven JW, Mommersteeg PMC. Psychological factors of suspect coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients undergoing SPECT imaging. J Nucl Cardiol. 2022 Apr;29(2):768-778. doi: 10.1007/s12350-020-02360-5. Epub 2020 Oct 6.

    PubMed 33025473
  • Bekendam MT, Kop WJ, Vermeltfoort IAC, Widdershoven JW, Mommersteeg PMC. Facial Expressions of Emotions During Pharmacological and Exercise Stress Testing: the Role of Myocardial Ischemia and Cardiac Symptoms. Int J Behav Med. 2021 Dec;28(6):692-704. doi: 10.1007/s12529-021-09963-3. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

    PubMed 33619698
  • Bekendam MT, Mommersteeg PMC, Kop WJ, Widdershoven JW, Vermeltfoort IAC. Anxiety and hemodynamic reactivity during cardiac stress testing: The role of gender and age in myocardial ischemia. J Nucl Cardiol. 2021 Dec;28(6):2581-2592. doi: 10.1007/s12350-020-02079-3. Epub 2020 Feb 28.

    PubMed 32112295
  • Gabbay FH, Krantz DS, Kop WJ, Hedges SM, Klein J, Gottdiener JS, Rozanski A. Triggers of myocardial ischemia during daily life in patients with coronary artery disease: physical and mental activities, anger and smoking. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1996 Mar 1;27(3):585-92. doi: 10.1016/0735-1097(95)00510-2.

    PubMed 8606268

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Care as usual with information support, Care as usual with supportive coaching and Care as usual with information support and supportive coaching in people with Myocardial Ischemia and Myocardial Infarction, run by Tilburg University at 1 site in Netherlands.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Netherlands. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Psychological wellbeing - self report using Profile of Mood States (time frame: During the two day diagnostic process.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05896982, which also lists 7 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Aug 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 27 Oct 2026.

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