Improving coordinated pain care for Veterans
Building Better Interdisciplinary Pain Teams Across Disciplines
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · VETERANS ADMIN PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYS · NIH-11097144
This project tries new ways to help VA care teams work together so Veterans with chronic pain get safer, more personalized care.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VETERANS ADMIN PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYS (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PALO ALTO, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11097144 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project develops practical supports ('scaffolds') to help different VA primary care providers—such as doctors, pharmacists, and behavioral health clinicians—coordinate around one patient's chronic pain needs. The team will introduce these tools and procedures in VA primary care clinics and compare how teams using them manage tasks like opioid tapering, medication management, and referrals. Because real-world teams often change membership, the work focuses on 'teaming' strategies that clarify roles, communication, and shared goals across changing provider mixes. Outcomes will include measures of team coordination and patient-centered results like pain control, safety, and satisfaction, and may be tested across clinics using cluster-based designs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Veterans living with chronic pain who receive care in VA primary care clinics—especially at participating VA sites—are the ideal candidates for this work.
Not a fit: People who do not get care through participating VA primary care clinics, who only see non-VA specialists, or who have primarily acute (not chronic) pain may not receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to more coordinated, safer, and more personalized pain care for Veterans, improving symptom control and reducing harms like inappropriate opioid use.
How similar studies have performed: Some team-based pain care models have improved outcomes, but interventions that support dynamic, changing team membership are newer and less proven.
Where this research is happening
PALO ALTO, UNITED STATES
- VETERANS ADMIN PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYS — PALO ALTO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GIANNITRAPANI, KARLEEN FRANCES — VETERANS ADMIN PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYS
- Study coordinator: GIANNITRAPANI, KARLEEN FRANCES
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.