Health Services Research & Development

• Mitchell CM, Guthrie KA, Larson J, Diem S, LaCroix AZ, Caan B, Shifren JL, Woods NF, Heiman JR, Lindau ST, Reed SD. Sexual frequency and pain in a randomized clinical trial of vaginal estradiol tablets, moisturizer, and placebo in postmenopausal women. Menopause (New York, N.Y.). 2019 Aug 1; 26(8):816-822.
• Lagisetty PA, Healy N, Garpestad C, Jannausch M, Tipirneni R, Bohnert ASB. Access to Primary Care Clinics for Patients With Chronic Pain Receiving Opioids. JAMA Network Open. 2019 Jul 3; 2(7):e196928.
• Gibson CJ, Li Y, Bertenthal D, Huang AJ, Seal KH. Menopause symptoms and chronic pain in a national sample of midlife women veterans. Menopause (New York, N.Y.). 2019 Jul 1; 26(7):708-713.
• Pulverman CS, Creech SK, Mengeling MA, Torner JC, Syrop CH, Sadler AG. Sexual Assault in the Military and Increased Odds of Sexual Pain Among Female Veterans. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2019 Jul 1; 134(1):63-71.
• Janevic MR, Shute V, Connell CM, Piette JD, Goesling J, Fynke J. The Role of Pets in Supporting Cognitive-Behavioral Chronic Pain Self-Management: Perspectives of Older Adults. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society. 2019 Jun 19; 733464819856270.

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• Strategies VA Clinicians Use to Structure Difficult Conversations Regarding Opioid Prescribing
  This study aimed to identify and describe clinicians’ strategies for managing prescription opioid misuse and aberrant behaviors among patients prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for chronic pain. Interview results identified challenges faced by clinicians in navigating conversations about opioid management, stemming from patient dissatisfaction and clinician ambivalence about enacting guid...
  
  Date: July 1, 2019
• Opioid Prescribing Safety Initiative Effective in Decreasing Rates of Opioid Prescribing for Older Veterans with Osteoarthritis
  Investigators in this study examined national trends in opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after implementation of VA’s Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI). Findings showed that before OSI implementation, total analgesic prescriptions showed a steady rise, which abruptly decreased to a flat trajectory after the OSI was implemented. This trend was primarily due to a decrease in opioi...
  
  Date: June 1, 2019
• Substantial Variation in Opioid Prescribing Rates among ED Providers in the Same VA Healthcare Facility
  The study team examined the extent to which variation in individual ED physicians’ opioid prescribing was independently associated with long-term opioid use in Veterans. Using VA data, investigators identified Veterans with an index ED visit at any VA facility in 2012 – and who were opioid naïve (without opioid prescriptions in the prior 6 months). Findings showed that there was a three-fold varia...
  
  Date: May 29, 2019
• Rural and Western Region Veterans Prescribed More Opioids Than Urban, Other Regions
  This study sought to characterize regional variation in opioid prescribing across VA and examine prescribing differences between rural and urban Veterans. Findings showed substantial rural-urban variation in VA opioid prescribing, with rural Veterans receiving over 30% more opioids than their urban counterparts, with most of the difference attributable to long-term use. Utilization was lowest in t...
  
  Date: May 21, 2019
• Many VA Patients Use and are Interested in Learning More about Complementary and Integrated Health Options
  In part to guide the expansion of evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH), VA leaders sought current information on Veterans’ interest in and use of various CIH approaches, both inside and outside the VA healthcare system. Thus, investigators in this study analyzed survey results from a large sample of Veterans on their interest in, use of, and satisfactions with 26 CIH approache...
  
  Date: April 22, 2019

» View more Publication Briefs

» View more Studies

• FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids
  ...Pain and the Science of Pain Management by Rollin M. Gallagher, MD, MPH, National Director for Pain Management, Veterans Health Administration...
  
  
• Management Briefs eBrief-no125 - Effectiveness of Models Used to Deliver Multimodal Care for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
  ...clinically relevant improvement in rates of pain intensity and pain-related function over 9 to 12 months (NNT range, 4.1 to 12.70), as well as...
  
  
• Management Briefs eBrief-no123 - Massage for Pain: An Evidence Map
  ...types of pain included in systematic reviews were neck pain (n=6), followed by low back pain, headache, or shoulder pain. Also included in some...
  
  
• Management Briefs eBrief-no122 - Benefits and Harms of Cannabis in Chronic Pain or PTSD
  ...with chronic pain or PTSD. Treatment of chronic pain There is limited evidence that cannabis may improve pain, spasticity, and sleep in select...
  
  
• Management Briefs eBrief-no107 - Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Acute Neck and Lower Back Pain
  ...pain are common ailments, and most people can expect at least one episode of acute back and/or neck pain in their lifetime. SMT is one of many...
  
  

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» View more Cyberseminars

Videos

• Using Service Connected Disability Hearings as a Gateway to Pain Management 01/08/18
• Evaluating Integrated Pain Treatment 01/02/18

Podcasts

• Painful Conversations: Pain Management SCAN-ECHO Improves Provider Conversations with Patients about Pain Care 12/20/2018
• Pain Management and Opioid Safety 05/04/2018
• Clinical Dashboard Elements to Improve Chronic Pain Care 07/19/2017

Other Resources

• Learn more about the HSR&D Center of Innovation on Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) in West Haven, CT.
• Visit the pain topic page at the VA Office of Research & Development website to learn more about additional pain research in VA.
• Learn more about the NIH-DoD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory.