Lowering long-term opioid use after community surgery using a transitional pain service
Reducing Chronic Opioid Use Among Veterans Undergoing Community Care Surgery Using a Transitional Pain Service
This project uses a virtual transitional pain team to help Veterans who have surgery at non-VA hospitals avoid becoming long-term opioid users.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11280837 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran getting orthopedic surgery through VA Community Care at a non-VA hospital, the team will offer a coordinated transitional pain service delivered by telehealth around the time of your operation. The multidisciplinary team will create a pain plan before surgery, follow up after discharge, and offer alternatives to prolonged opioid prescriptions. Researchers will track opioid prescriptions and recovery over time using VA records and remote visits to compare outcomes with usual care. The goal is to improve pain coordination between VA and community providers and reduce chronic opioid use after surgery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Veterans scheduled for orthopedic surgery through VA Community Care who are at higher risk for prolonged opioid use and who receive surgery at non-VA hospitals are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Veterans who receive all surgical care and follow-up inside VA hospitals, those having non-orthopedic procedures, or people already on chronic opioid therapy may not gain benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower the chance you need long-term opioid medications after surgery and improve coordinated pain care across VA and non-VA settings.
How similar studies have performed: Transitional Pain Services have reduced chronic opioid use after orthopedic surgery in VA settings before, but delivering a virtual TPS for Veterans treated at non-VA hospitals is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brooke, Benjamin S. — VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Brooke, Benjamin S.
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.