Improving access to non-drug pain care for diverse Veterans

Addressing Disparities In Pain Management

NIH-funded research Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11193236

This project will create and try out a plan to help Veterans from diverse backgrounds get guideline-based non-drug treatments for chronic pain.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVeterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Palo Alto, United States)
Project IDNIH-11193236 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

I would be part of efforts to figure out why Veterans like me don't always get guideline-recommended non-drug treatments for chronic pain. Researchers will talk with patients, clinicians, and clinic staff to learn barriers and map those problems to specific strategies. They will build a tailored implementation blueprint for VA clinics and pilot those changes in real-world care settings. The aim is to increase use of effective non-pharmacological pain treatments for women Veterans and Veterans of color.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Veterans with chronic pain who receive care in VA clinics—especially women and Veterans of color—are the primary group this work is meant to help.

Not a fit: People who do not get care at VA facilities, those with only short-term (acute) pain, or patients whose needs require immediate surgical or medication-only approaches may not see direct benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for diverse Veterans to receive effective non-drug pain care and reduce inequities in pain treatment.

How similar studies have performed: Non-pharmacological pain treatments have shown benefit in prior studies, but using a tailored implementation blueprint to close racial and gender gaps in VA pain care is a relatively new approach.

Where this research is happening

Palo Alto, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.