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VA tests staff simulations to boost mental health care access

NCT ID NCT04208217

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a training program called Modeling to Learn (MTL) helps clinic staff improve how many veterans start and finish evidence-based treatments for PTSD, depression, and opioid use disorder. The program uses computer simulations to let staff try out changes to scheduling and staffing in a safe virtual setting before making real-world changes. The study compared MTL to usual quality improvement methods across 24 VA health systems.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Modeling to Learn (MTL) simulation training
What this could lead to
If effective, this approach could help clinics improve access to proven mental health treatments without extra funding or staff.
What could go wrong
This is a completed study comparing two quality improvement methods, so results may not apply to all clinics or guarantee lasting change.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

720 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2021

Finished

Jan 2026

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 24 health care systems currently functioning below the median VA mental health recommendations for Strategic Analytics for Improvement \& Learning (SAIL) and below the median for 3 of 8 SAIL evidence-based treatment approaches. * VA divisions and community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) or 'clinics' from regional VA health systems * Must be below the overall VA quality median (as assessed by the Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning or SAIL), which includes 3 of 8 SAIL measures associated with four evidence-based psychotherapies and three evidence-based pharmacotherapies for depression, PTSD, and opioid use disorder. Exclusion Criteria: Health care systems functioning above median VA mental health recommendations for Strategic Analytics for Improvement \& Learning (SAIL) and below the median for 3 of 8 SAIL evidence-based treatment approaches. Only one health care system can be included per arm - MTL vs QI. * clinics with less than 12 months of data in 2018 * clinics involved in Office of Veterans Access to Care (OVACS) quality improvement program at baseline * clinics where the VA Cerner electronic health record (EHR) implementation rollout will occur during the project period (Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISNs) 20, 21 ,22, and 7) * clinics who serve less than 122 unique patients each month on average * clinics without an onsite multidisciplinary team of mental health or addiction service providers (minimum required: 1 psychiatrist, 1 psychologist, 1 social worker onsite)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Behavior, Addictive Depression depressive disorder opiate dependence post-traumatic stress disorder Psychological Well-Being

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression Opioid use disorder PTSD

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

    Palo Alto, California, 94304-1207, United States

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