# 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 · 2024 · $1,206,104

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The overarching goal of this NIH/DoD/VA Pain Management Collaboratory project, wHOPE (Whole Health
Options for Pain Education) is to generate evidence for the VA Whole Health model in addressing chronic pain
in a national sample of veterans across six geographically distinct VA healthcare systems. Specifically, we will
evaluate a Whole Health Team (WHT), including a medical provider with training in integrative medicine, a CIH
provider (e.g., yoga instructor, acupuncturist, nutritionist) and a Whole Health coach that collaborates with
patients to develop a Personalized Health Plan, emphasizing non-pharmacological approaches to pain
management. Specific Aim 1 is to determine whether a Whole Health Team approach is superior to Primary
Care Group Education (PC-GE, modified group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain), and whether
both are superior to VA Usual Primary Care (UPC) in decreasing pain interference in veterans with moderate
to severe chronic pain (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes include changes in pain severity, quality of
life, non-pharmacological therapies, use of pain medications (including opioids), and mental health symptoms
in trial participants across the three study arms. To collect patient-reported outcomes, masked telephone
assessments will be conducted at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Aim 2 is to conduct a process evaluation
of the two active interventions (WHT and PC-GE) and a budget impact analysis that includes costs to
implement the two active interventions and control (UPC) to inform the development of an implementation
toolkit for scaling and dissemination. Eligible participants are veterans reporting moderate to severe chronic
pain present every day or nearly every day for ≥ 6 months. The total sample size for the population is based on
our main study aim/hypothesis and is N=765. This breaks down to n=341 in each of the active interventions
(WHT and PC-GE) and n=83 in the control (UPC). Results of this UG3/UH3 Pain Management Collaboratory
project will contribute to the overall mission of the NIH/DoD/VA initiative to build national-level infrastructure
that supports non-pharmacologic pain management in veterans and military service personnel. As the study
has been conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Aim 3 will use a nationwide cohort of veterans from the
entire VA system to investigate the differential impact of the COVID pandemic on racial/ethnic minority,
women, and rural Veterans’ use of Whole Health and CIH services for chronic pain management.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10973348
- **Project number:** 3UH3AT009765-06S1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE/RES/EDU
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM C BECKER
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,206,104
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-01-01 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10973348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10973348, 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 (3UH3AT009765-06S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10973348. Licensed CC0.

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