Dr. Vafi Salmasi, MD.

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Stanford Pain Management Center

Studies Chronic Pain
3 reported clinical trials
6 drugs studied

Affiliated Hospitals

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Stanford Pain Management Center

Clinical Trials Vafi Salmasi, MD. is currently running

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Duloxetine vs Desipramine

for Chronic Pain

Over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain resulting in annual cost of roughly $635 billion. Limited treatments are available for this widespread disease. The data supporting these treatments lack generalizability to patients with more serious medical and psychological comorbidities who are often excluded from explanatory efficacy trials. Our work aims to integrate randomized comparative effectiveness research with patient care. The investigators will randomize the patients and collect data using an open-source learning healthcare system already in use in our department to monitor patients' progress: Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry (CHOIR). Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry uses the National Institute of Health Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System item banks for comparative metrics through computer adaptive testing. The investigators will leverage the advantage of this novel system to compare effectiveness of duloxetine and desipramine in decreasing pain in patients with chronic pain. The investigators will also compare adherence of patients to these two commonly used medications over a period of six months. This will evaluate feasibility of integrating randomized comparative effectiveness research with patient care in subspecialty clinics. Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry can then be applied for numerous future trials to advance our knowledge in perioperative and pain medicine.
Recruiting3 awards Phase 43 criteria
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Anti-depressants vs Anti-convulsants

for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a major healthcare problem with an annual cost of above $600 billion. The quality of data available for treatments of chronic pain is not optimal. Generalizability of explanatory randomized controlled trial data is problematic as these trials exclude up to 90% of patients: leaving out real-world patients with serious medical and psychological comorbidities. Pragmatic trials embedded in patient care compare effectiveness of currently used treatments in real-world application leading to findings that generalize to broader range of patients. The changes in clinical practice and workflow necessary to integrate this type of research within patient care present pragmatic challenges. In this research, the overall objective is to overcome these challenges using an open-source learning health care system - CHOIR. CHOIR is currently used to track patients' clinical trajectory and treatment response across multiple academic sites resulting in over 25 publications characterizing chronic pain. Through the pilot studies, the investigators have already developed a point-of-care randomization for CHOIR that facilitates integration of research and patient care by allowing the physicians to randomize patients during clinic visits. The investigators have already demonstrated feasibility of the randomization and data collection platform in two ongoing pilot pragmatic clinical trials. The investigators are proposing to better integrate pragmatic research within clinical practice through conducting a randomized comparative effectiveness trial in 450 patients with chronic pain comparing effectiveness of anti-convulsants and anti-depressants (two most commonly used classes of medications for treatment of chronic pain). The investigators will also perform a qualitative interview with all physicians in our clinic to study the impact of integrating pragmatic research into clinical care. The investigators will use the data available in CHOIR as well as the real-world data generated from this clinical trial to build, validate and test a model to predict what clinical characteristics can predict response to either of these classes of medications. The proposed study is the first step to use flexible point-of-care randomization to compare effectiveness of different treatments in different subgroups of patients whenever equipoise exists. The prediction model will guide decision making process of clinicians choosing between these medications based on clinical characteristics of individual patients.
Recruiting3 awards Phase 44 criteria

More about Vafi Salmasi, MD.

Clinical Trial Related6 years of experience running clinical trials · Led 3 trials as a Principal Investigator · 2 Active Clinical Trials
Treatments Vafi Salmasi, MD. has experience with
  • Desipramine
  • Duloxetine
  • Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation
  • High Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation
  • Anti-convulsant Medications
  • Anti-depressant Medications

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need insurance to participate in a trial?
Almost all clinical trials will cover the cost of the ‘trial drug’ — so no insurance is required for this. For trials where this trial drug is given alongside an already-approved medication, there may be a cost (which your insurance would normally cover).
What does Vafi Salmasi, MD. specialize in?
Vafi Salmasi, MD. focuses on Chronic Pain and other conditions. In particular, much of their work with Chronic Pain has involved treating patients, or patients who are undergoing treatment.
Is Vafi Salmasi, MD. currently recruiting for clinical trials?
Yes, Vafi Salmasi, MD. is currently recruiting for 2 clinical trials in Redwood City California. If you're interested in participating, you should apply.
Are there any treatments that Vafi Salmasi, MD. has studied deeply?
Yes, Vafi Salmasi, MD. has studied treatments such as Desipramine, Duloxetine, Burst spinal cord stimulation.
What is the best way to schedule an appointment with Vafi Salmasi, MD.?
Apply for one of the trials that Vafi Salmasi, MD. is conducting.
What is the office address of Vafi Salmasi, MD.?
The office of Vafi Salmasi, MD. is located at: Stanford Pain Management Center, Redwood City, California 94063 United States. This is the address for their practice at the Stanford Pain Management Center.
Is there any support for travel costs?
The coverage of travel expenses can vary greatly between different clinical trials. Please see more financial detail in the trials you’re interested to apply.
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