Collaborating Center for Arthritis Care Tools and a Coordinating Center for an Arthritis Management & Wellbeing Network
Official title: Establishing a Collaborating Center for OACareTools PLUS (OACareTools Primary care-Led Usability & Scalability Study) and a Coordinating Center for an Arthritis Management & Wellbeing Research Network
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11503933 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A coordinated NIH program aims to improve how primary care providers refer people with arthritis to evidence-based, self-management programs and to boost participation, especially among groups facing disparities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | September 29, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $300,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U48DP006837-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11503933 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with arthritis, especially Black, Latino, and rural individuals who currently have limited access to guideline-based interventions.
✕Less likely to help
Some patients may not experience immediate changes if they have severe comorbidities or barriers to engagement with programs.
What this research studies
This grant supports creating a Collaborating Center to connect and scale arthritis care tools and a Coordinating Center for a national network focused on arthritis management and wellbeing. It targets primary care settings to increase patient access to evidence-based self-management like physical activity and weight management, while reducing disparities in Black, Latino, and rural communities. The approach emphasizes practical, scalable methods to engage patients and clinicians, improve referrals, and broaden use of proven interventions. The work will leverage existing networks, develop standardized processes, and study how best to implement these strategies in real-world primary care. Overall, the project seeks to make first-line, non-drug interventions more available and effective for people living with arthritis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better arthritis control and quality of life through easier access to proven self-management programs.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows that structured counseling and referral processes can increase enrollment in self-management programs, though disparities persist, making this grant's scaling effort valuable.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ammerman, Alice S — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Ammerman, Alice S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Helping people with osteoarthritis get proven self-care support through primary care and a new arthritis wellbeing network
This project will create centers to help primary care teams use OACareTools to connect people with osteoarthritis to proven self-management programs, with extra focus on Black, Latino, and rural communities.
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Creating a center to improve arthritis management and support.
This study is all about helping people with arthritis, especially those who might not get the best care, by finding better ways for patients to take charge of their health and work with their doctors on things like exercise and weight management.
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HEARTS hypertension and diabetes care in Guatemala
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Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing at Harvard
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Primary Care HEART-NET: boosting access to research in the Deep South
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Primary Care Bridge: Building Research in Diverse Geographic Settings
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.