Whole-person chronic musculoskeletal pain care for military patients
Holistic Pain Care in Military Health System
This project will bring team-based, stepped care for chronic musculoskeletal pain into Military Health System clinics using the new electronic health record to guide and track care for service members and military beneficiaries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11313082 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project brings team-based, whole-person pain care into the Military Health System so you would start with less intense, lower-risk options and move to more intensive treatments only if needed. It uses a stepped-care approach and the MHS's new system-wide electronic health record to deliver decision-support tools, care pathways, and to track treatments and outcomes. The team will test practical, clinic-friendly ways to implement these approaches across MHS facilities so they can be sustained in routine care. The focus is on people with chronic musculoskeletal pain who receive care within the MHS.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Active-duty service members, veterans, retirees, and other military beneficiaries with chronic musculoskeletal pain who receive care at participating Military Health System clinics are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without musculoskeletal pain, those treated outside the Military Health System, or patients needing immediate specialty surgical care may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could make safer, evidence-based pain treatments more available across military clinics and help people with chronic MSK pain get the right care sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Multidisciplinary and stepped-care pain programs have helped patients in civilian settings, but using EHR-driven implementation across the MHS is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fritz, Julie M — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Fritz, Julie M
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.