# REmotely-delivered Supportive Programs for Improving surgical pain and disTrEss (RESPITE)

> **NIH NIH R01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $659,522

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Improving the management of acute pain, psychological distress, and other surgical outcomes among women
undergoing surgery for suspected gynecologic malignancies would proactively reach a population vulnerable to
developing chronic pain. Non-pharmacological interventions that address multiple biobehavioral dimensions of
pain (e.g., cognitive, behavioral) may be most effective at preventing the transition to chronic pain. Yoga
(meditation, movements, and breathing) is a mind-body intervention that reduces pain, psychological distress,
and sleep disturbances, and improves physical function. Yoga has a potential advantage over other
perioperative non-pharmacological interventions because of additional components that also support multiple
goals of postoperative usual care (e.g., early postoperative mobilization, encouraging deep breathing) and
could help improve other surgical management outcomes (e.g., functional recovery, length of stay). Thus, yoga
may optimally improve pain, psychological distress and other surgical management outcomes through multiple
biobehavioral mechanisms. Yet, limited rigorous research has evaluated yoga delivered in coordination with
surgical care. The proposed eHealth Mindful Movement and Breathing (eMMB) is innovative because it adapts
the core components of yoga with the intention to remove key barriers to participation and mitigate the
transition from acute to chronic pain. We propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial of eMMB compared
to an empathic attention control (AC) among 122 women undergoing surgery for suspected gynecologic
malignancies. We aim to determine the efficacy of eMMB for improving pain and other surgical outcomes (Aim
1), and to examine the effect of eMMB on proposed proximal biobehavioral outcomes (Aim 2). We will also
conduct semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (n=18-24; patients, champions, providers, yoga
instructors) to assess factors that serve as barriers or facilitators to sustainably implementing eMMB in clinical
care (Aim 3). Understanding these factors will inform implementation strategies to be tested in a future study.
In summary, eMMB reaches patients during the perioperative period and has the potential to prevent the
transition from acute to chronic pain with a low-cost intervention. The brevity and accessibility of the
intervention, and the increasing popularity of yoga, make eMMB a strong candidate for future implementation.
Results from this study in women undergoing surgery for gynecologic malignancies may be generalizable to
other surgical procedures and thus have important public health implications for reducing the growing
population affected by chronic pain. The proposed research is aligned with the scientific opportunity for
mitigating long-term effects of cancer treatment highlighted by the National Cancer Institute.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10520141
- **Project number:** 1R01CA266995-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephanie Jean Sohl
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $659,522
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-07 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10520141

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10520141, REmotely-delivered Supportive Programs for Improving surgical pain and disTrEss (RESPITE) (1R01CA266995-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10520141. Licensed CC0.

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