Integrated care for Veterans with chronic pain and PTSD who take opioids
Leveraging VA National Data, Expert Consensus, and Veteran Input to Develop and Refine a Pragmatic Trial Protocol Comparing Integrated Interventions to Address Co-Occurring Pain and PTSD in Veterans
This project will design a plan to compare two team-based treatments that treat chronic pain and PTSD at the same time for Veterans who are prescribed opioids.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11295395 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will use VA electronic health records, expert clinicians, and direct input from Veterans with lived experience to design a practical trial comparing two interdisciplinary treatment approaches that address chronic pain, PTSD, and opioid use together. The team will iteratively refine a trial protocol using national VA data, expert consensus, and Veteran feedback to ensure the approaches are feasible in real-world VA clinics. The goal is to produce a pragmatic implementation-effectiveness protocol ready for testing across VA sites to improve coordinated care for these co-occurring conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be Veterans who have chronic pain and a diagnosis of PTSD and are currently prescribed opioid medications.
Not a fit: Veterans without both chronic pain and PTSD or those not taking opioids are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Veterans could receive coordinated treatments that address pain and PTSD together and potentially reduce opioid-related harms and improve overall functioning.
How similar studies have performed: Prior pilot trials and observational studies suggest integrated treatments are promising, but a large pragmatic comparison across VA settings remains novel.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seal, Karen H — Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Seal, Karen H
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.