Community health worker support to help older adults manage chronic pain
An Efficacy Trial of Community Health Worker-Delivered Chronic Pain Self-Management Support for Vulnerable Older Adults
This project will see if community health workers can teach phone-based cognitive-behavioral skills and use simple mobile tools to help older adults with chronic pain feel and function better over a year.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176964 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would work with a trained community health worker who knows your neighborhood and delivers seven weeks of coaching by phone to teach pain coping skills and link you to local resources. The program also uses easy mobile tools and activity monitors to help you practice the strategies between calls. Study staff will track participants' pain and daily functioning for one year to understand lasting benefits. The approach is designed for people who have trouble getting to in-person groups and for addressing social needs that can make pain harder to manage.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with chronic pain who have trouble accessing in-person care, face mobility or transportation barriers, or have unmet social needs are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without chronic pain, those who need or prefer in-person therapy, or individuals with severe cognitive impairment may not benefit from this phone-based program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make effective pain self-management more accessible and reduce how much pain interferes with daily life for older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Cognitive-behavioral pain self-management has helped many people with chronic pain, and early pilot work of CHW- or phone-delivered programs has shown encouraging results.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Janevic, Mary Rose — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Janevic, Mary Rose
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 below.