Digital Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (DIGIBS)

May 13, 2025 updated by: Haukeland University Hospital

A Randomized Controlled Digital Intervention Study to Assess the Effect of Internet Delivered Interventions, the Low FODMAP-diet, Behavioral Therapy or Both, Compared to Patient Education, on Measures of Gastrointestinal Symptom Relief and Quality of Life in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The aim of this work is to identify whether the digital treatment program Mage-tarmskolen has an effect on patients with IBS. Our secondary objectives is to address multiple aspects of digital treatmtent success of the different modules. The patients will be randomized to one of four arms and will be delivered different kinds of digital treatment. All patients will have access to ask questions to a registered dietitian. Primary end point is the proportion of patients with treatment success in the low FODMAP, behavioral therapy or both groups, versus the patient education group (sham). Treatment effect is defined as an improvement of 50 points or more on the IBS severity scoring system at 3 months after treatment start compared to the score before treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
728

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Norway
    • Vestlandet
      • Bergen, Vestlandet, Norway, 5021
        • Haukeland University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

- Diagnosed with IBS in the primary or secondary healthcare service.

  • Patients aged 18-70 years with IBS defined by the Rome IV criteria: Recurrent abdominal pain, on average at least 1 day per week during the previous 3 months, that is associated with two or more of the following: i) Defecation, either increased pain or pain relief, ii) Change in stool frequency, iii) Change in stool form (appearance)
  • All participants >50 years: Colonoscopy within the last 5 years prior to study entry excluding other pathology
  • Bank-ID and access to tablet, PC or smart phone.
  • No known presence of: symptomatic endometriosis, Diabetes type 1 and 2, Malignant disease (excluding basalioma),
  • No history of: severe psychiatric disorder, alcohol or drug abuse, inflammatory bowel disease, microscopic colitis, diverticulitis or ileus, major abdominal surgery (except appendectomy, cholecystectomy, caesarean section, and hysterectomy)
  • No "red flags'' indicating severe undiagnosed disease: Night sweats (Repeated episodes of extreme perspiration that may soak nightclothes or bedding), Unintentional weight loss (≥ 4.5 kilograms, or 5% of normal body weight) over less than 6 months without knowing the reason, or blood in stool
  • Not pregnant
  • Ability to comply with protocol requirements

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Sham Comparator: Patient education
Behavioral: Module 1
Module 1: Introduction to IBS by a gastroenterologist.
Behavioral: Module 2
Module 2:Introduction to pain physiology and how the nervous system works by a physiotherapist including practical exercises.
Behavioral: Module 3
Module 3: Evidence-based guidelines for diet and lifestyle advice (NICE Guidelines) by a clinical dietitian.
Active Comparator: Behavioral therapy
Behavioral: Module 1
Module 1: Introduction to IBS by a gastroenterologist.
Behavioral: Module 2
Module 2:Introduction to pain physiology and how the nervous system works by a physiotherapist including practical exercises.
Behavioral: Module 3
Module 3: Evidence-based guidelines for diet and lifestyle advice (NICE Guidelines) by a clinical dietitian.
Behavioral: Module 4
Module 4: Intervention: behavioral therapy (exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy).
Active Comparator: Low FODMAP-diet
Behavioral: Module 1
Module 1: Introduction to IBS by a gastroenterologist.
Behavioral: Module 2
Module 2:Introduction to pain physiology and how the nervous system works by a physiotherapist including practical exercises.
Behavioral: Module 3
Module 3: Evidence-based guidelines for diet and lifestyle advice (NICE Guidelines) by a clinical dietitian.
Behavioral: Module 5
Module 5: Intervention: The low FODMAP diet.
Active Comparator: Combined treatment
Low FODMAP-diet and behavioral therapy
Behavioral: Module 1
Module 1: Introduction to IBS by a gastroenterologist.
Behavioral: Module 2
Module 2:Introduction to pain physiology and how the nervous system works by a physiotherapist including practical exercises.
Behavioral: Module 3
Module 3: Evidence-based guidelines for diet and lifestyle advice (NICE Guidelines) by a clinical dietitian.
Behavioral: Module 4
Module 4: Intervention: behavioral therapy (exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy).
Behavioral: Module 5
Module 5: Intervention: The low FODMAP diet.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
IBS-SSS
Time Frame: 3 months after treatment start
Treatment success is defined as an improvement of ≥50 points on the IBS severity scoring system (IBS-SSS) at 3 months after treatment start, compared to the score before treatment
3 months after treatment start

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
HADS
Time Frame: 3 months after treatment start
≥3-point decrease in HADS at 3 months compared to the score before treatment.
3 months after treatment start
IBS-QOL
Time Frame: 3 months after treatment start
≥10-point increase in the IBS-Qualiy of Life (IBS-QoL) at 3 months compared to the score before treatment.
3 months after treatment start

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Haukeland University Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 28, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2033

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 31, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 31, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 7, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 13, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2023-630038

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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