Community health worker support to help older adults manage chronic pain
Official title: An Efficacy Trial of Community Health Worker-Delivered Chronic Pain Self-Management Support for Vulnerable Older Adults
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11176964 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $540,551 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG071511-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176964 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
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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.