Digital program to help Veterans with chronic pain and opioid-use disorder stay on treatment and feel better
Official title: Improving pain and functioning using an integrative digital treatment for chronic pain and addiction in Veterans with opioid use disorder receiving buprenorphine
Funded at VA Connecticut Healthcare System · NIH-11340218 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A web-based 9-week program helps Veterans on buprenorphine manage chronic pain and cravings from home.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Connecticut Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Haven, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2026 |
| Project end | September 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01RD000376-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11340218 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with chronic pain who are receiving buprenorphine for opioid-use disorder and have access to the internet.
✕Less likely to help
Veterans without chronic pain, without internet access, or not on MOUD may see little benefit.
What this research studies
This project offers a 9-week, home-based digital treatment that combines chronic pain care with support for opioid-use disorder in Veterans. Participants complete daily digital surveys and receive personalized weekly feedback aimed at improving pain, function, and MOUD retention. By reducing the burden of in-person visits, it seeks to lower barriers like stigma and travel time while leveraging existing MOUD care. The program is designed to be used alongside buprenorphine treatment to help people stay engaged and improve overall quality of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Veterans may experience less pain, better daily functioning, and greater retention in buprenorphine treatment.
How similar studies have gone: The concept builds on prior tests of digital pain and addiction treatments, with integration into MOUD being a novel combination in this population.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Connecticut Healthcare System
West Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maclean, Robert Ross — VA Connecticut Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Maclean, Robert Ross
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This compares switching to very low nicotine cigarettes versus regular cigarettes for people with opioid use disorder who have chronic pain to see if it reduces smoking, cravings, withdrawal, and pain.
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Whole-person care for chronic pain and opioid use disorder
This program offers combined, personalized treatments to help people with long-term pain and opioid use disorder improve daily functioning and quality of life.
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.