Improving quality of life for people with chronic pain and opioid use issues
Official title: MIRHIQL Resource Center for Improving Quality of Life with Chronic Pain (MRC)
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-10705887 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how living with chronic pain might influence the chances of misusing opioids in people who are on long-term opioid treatment, and it aims to improve how we understand and manage opioid use to help patients feel better and stay safe.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $5,978,096 |
| NIH project number | 1R24DA058606-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10705887 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals suffering from chronic pain who are currently receiving long-term opioid therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have chronic pain or are not on long-term opioid therapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to enhance our understanding of how chronic pain affects the risk of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder in patients receiving long-term opioid therapy. By integrating expert opinions, patient perspectives, and data from electronic health records, the project seeks to create a clearer definition of opioid misuse and develop a framework for assessing the benefits and risks of long-term opioid use. The study will involve analyzing existing coding patterns and healthcare delivery interactions to refine the clinical definitions and improve patient care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better management strategies for chronic pain patients, reducing the risk of opioid misuse and improving overall quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in refining definitions and frameworks for opioid misuse, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Adams, Meredith C. B. — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Adams, Meredith C. B.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Motor cortex tricks to ease chronic pain
A study in rodents and people tests whether non-invasive brain stimulation of the motor cortex can reduce chronic pain and how best to target it.
-
Human pain center study to map normal and migraine-trigeminal neurons
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Understanding human pain neurons to improve migraine care
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Whole Person Pain Algorithm to personalize chronic pain care
A new, evidence-based model helps explain why chronic low back pain affects people differently and could guide personalized diagnosis and treatment.
-
Understanding how to use pharmacogenomic testing to guide chronic pain care
This grant looks at how doctors who treat long‑term pain decide when and how to use genetic testing to tailor pain medicines for safer and more effective care.
-
Mindfulness and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults
This grant tests non-drug ways like mindfulness and self-hypnosis to help people over 60 manage chronic pain.
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.