# Implementation of a Pragmatic Trial of Whole Health Team vs. Primary Care Group Education to Promote Non-Pharmacological Strategies to Improve Pain, Function and Quality of Life in Veterans

> **NIH NIH UH3** · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE/RES/EDU · 2021 · $1,404,594

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMARY ABSTRACT
The overarching goal of this Pain Management Collaboratory Demonstration project is to implement a new
Whole Health paradigm for chronic pain care, emphasizing non-pharmacologic pain self-management that
reduces pain symptoms and improves overall functioning and quality of life in veterans. The objective of this
UG3/UH3 proposal is to develop and pilot components that will be used to support a pragmatic
implementation-effectiveness trial of two pain care delivery approaches that differ in structure,
comprehensiveness, and intensity. During the trial phase, over 600 veterans across 4 geographically diverse
VA health care facilities with moderate to severe chronic pain (irrespective of chronic opioid therapy) will be
randomized to receive an intensive Whole Health Team (WHT) versus a less intensive usual care Primary
Care Group Education (PC-GE) approach. All enrolled veterans will be followed for 12 months. In preparation
for the trial, specific aims of the 2-year UG3 phase include: UG3 Aim 1: to use an evidence-based
implementation framework to conduct a formative evaluation that engages trial stakeholders at the 4 VA
enrolling sites, solicits feedback on specific trial components, and identifies barriers to and facilitators of trial
implementation, and UG3 Aim 2: to use stakeholder input to adapt, pilot and refine key components for the
successful implementation of the pragmatic trial including: non-pharmacologic multi-modal pain self-
management education for patients and providers, point-of-care data collection applications, patient reported
measures sensitive to whole health interventions, wrist-worn activity monitors, and web/mobile applications to
support in vivo monitoring of activity and pain and to provide tools for pain self-management. Assuming
transition to the 4-year trial UH3 phase, we will implement these components refined in the UG3 phase. In UH3
Aim 1 we will conduct a 12-month pragmatic effectiveness trial to test whether veterans with moderate to
severe chronic pain randomized to receive the Whole Health Team (WHT) intervention are more likely than
those receiving Primary Care Group Education (PC-GE) to: H1: Experience improved pain severity and
interference, functioning and quality of life (primary outcome); H2: Decrease use of higher risk pain
medications, including opioids, or high risk combinations (secondary); H3: Engage in a greater number of non-
pharmacological pain management activities (secondary); H4: Experience improved comorbid mental health
symptoms, including sleep problems and suicidality. UH3 Aim 2 is to conduct a process evaluation and budget
impact analysis of the implementation of the two interventions to support the development of an
implementation toolkit for scaling and dissemination. Results of this UG3/UH3 Pain Management Collaboratory
Demonstration project will contribute to the overall mission of the NIH/VA/DoD initiative to build national-level
infrastructure that supports...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10090568
- **Project number:** 5UH3AT009765-04
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE/RES/EDU
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM C BECKER
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,404,594
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-01-20 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10090568

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10090568, Implementation of a Pragmatic Trial of Whole Health Team vs. Primary Care Group Education to Promote Non-Pharmacological Strategies to Improve Pain, Function and Quality of Life in Veterans (5UH3AT009765-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10090568. Licensed CC0.

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