Improving access to non-drug pain care for diverse Veterans
Official title: Addressing Disparities In Pain Management
Funded at Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11193236 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2HX003474-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193236 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Javier, Sarah Jane — Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Javier, Sarah Jane
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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.