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Online remote behavioural intervention for Tics (ORBIT-UK) : protocol of a single cohort usability study
Hastings, Olivia Brown, Beverley J Prentice, Kelly-Marie Babbage, Camilla May Davies, E Bethan Kilgariff, Joseph Murphy, Tara McGarry, Glenn Guo, Boliang Greenhalgh, Chris
Hastings, Olivia
Brown, Beverley J
Prentice, Kelly-Marie
Babbage, Camilla May
Davies, E Bethan
Kilgariff, Joseph
Murphy, Tara
McGarry, Glenn
Guo, Boliang
Greenhalgh, Chris
Abstract
Introduction Tourette syndrome is a common, disabling childhood-onset condition. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is an effective treatment for tics, yet access remains limited due to a shortage of trained therapists and uneven geographical distribution of services. The ORBIT trial demonstrated that internet-delivered ERP is both clinically and cost-effective, but was developed on a university research platform, not suitable for widescale roll-out. To enable adoption by the National Health Service (NHS) in England, ORBIT has been redeveloped on an NHS compliant platform. This study will evaluate the usability, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of ORBIT on the new platform within an NHS tic disorder service.Methods and analysis This single-cohort usability study will recruit 20 children and young people (aged 9–17) with tics and their chosen supporters (parents/carers). Participants will receive a 10-week online ERP intervention supported by trained coaches. Outcomes include uptake, adherence, system usability, satisfaction and clinical measures such as the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, Parent Tic Questionnaire and Goal-Based Outcomes. Qualitative feedback will be collected via semi-structured exit interviews. Usability metrics and adverse events will be monitored throughout.Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethical approval from North West Greater Manchester Research Ethics Committee (ref: 25/NW/0107). The findings from the study will inform future NHS adoption. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number ISRCTN82718960. Registered 10 July 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN82718960
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Date
2026
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Article
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Hastings, O., Brown, B. J., Prentice, K.-M., Babbage, C. M., Davies, E. B., Kilgariff, J., Murphy, T., McGarry, G., Guo, B., Greenhalgh, C., et al. (2026). Online remote behavioural intervention for Tics (ORBIT-UK) : protocol of a single cohort usability study. BMJ Open, 16 (1), pp.e110121.
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© Author(s) (or their
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permitted under CC BY.
Published by BMJ Group.
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