Community Program for Chronic Pain

Overseen By Mary R. Janevic, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Michigan

Disqualifiers: Serious illness, Major surgery, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 8

Duration: 7 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a new program, Strengthening COnnections to Overcome Pain (SCOOP), can reduce chronic pain and loneliness in older adults living in rural areas. Participants will watch videos and have weekly phone sessions with a community health worker to learn ways to manage pain and build social connections. The trial will compare individuals using the program to those who do not, assessing its impact on daily life and feelings of loneliness. This trial suits individuals aged 60 and older who have experienced chronic muscle or joint pain for at least three months and frequently feel lonely. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the chance to contribute to innovative research that may enhance their quality of life and assist others in similar situations.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on teaching strategies for managing pain and loneliness, so you may not need to change your medication routine.

What prior data suggests that the SCOOP program is safe for participants?

Research has shown that the Strengthening COnnections to Overcome Pain (SCOOP) program helps individuals manage chronic pain and enhance their social connections. This program is unique because it addresses both the physical and social aspects of pain.

Studies have found that individuals who feel less connected to others often experience more severe chronic pain. By strengthening social ties, programs like SCOOP may help reduce pain. The program includes watching videos and participating in coaching sessions with a community health worker, designed to be supportive and educational.

Since SCOOP does not involve medication, there are no medication-related side effects. Instead, the focus is on engagement and learning new skills to manage pain. This makes SCOOP a low-risk option for those seeking to improve their quality of life through better pain management and social interaction. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

The Community Program for Chronic Pain is unique because it introduces the Strengthening COnnections to Overcome Pain (SCOOP) intervention, which focuses on chronic pain self-management and enhancing social connectedness through a seven-week program. Unlike standard treatments that often rely heavily on medications like NSAIDs or opioids, SCOOP is delivered primarily over the phone by community health workers, making it more accessible and personalized. Researchers are excited about this approach because it not only aims to manage pain but also addresses the social isolation that often accompanies chronic pain, potentially leading to more holistic and sustainable improvements in patients' quality of life.

What evidence suggests that the SCOOP program is effective for managing chronic pain and loneliness?

Research shows that strong social connections and positive feelings can help people manage pain more effectively. Studies have found that individuals with chronic pain often experience less pain when they have meaningful social support. A lack of connection to others is linked to increased pain, so fostering connections can aid in managing chronic pain. Programs focusing on self-care and building social ties have been shown to improve well-being in those with chronic pain. This trial will evaluate the SCOOP intervention, which emphasizes social connections and self-management strategies, to determine its effectiveness in reducing pain and loneliness in older adults. Community health workers will deliver this 7-week program primarily over the telephone to participants in the SCOOP Intervention Group. ^{1 3 5 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for older adults living in rural areas who suffer from chronic pain and feel lonely. They should be willing to watch educational videos, participate in weekly coaching sessions, and complete telephone interviews about their health.

Inclusion Criteria

Have a mobile or landline phone

I am 60 years old or older.

I often feel lonely.

Exclusion Criteria

I do not have any major surgeries planned that would stop me from joining the program.

I do not have severe mental, physical, or psychiatric conditions that would prevent me from participating.

I have not been seriously ill or hospitalized in the last month.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in the SCOOP program, which includes watching videos and up to 7 weekly coaching sessions with a community health worker

7 weeks

7 visits (telephone)

Follow-up

Participants complete a follow-up survey and are monitored for changes in pain interference and loneliness

8 weeks from baseline

1 visit (telephone)

Educational Workshop (optional)

Control group participants are invited to an educational workshop about pain and loneliness and receive all intervention materials

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Strengthening COnnections to Overcome Pain (SCOOP)

Trial Overview The SCOOP program is being tested to see if it can reduce how much pain affects daily life and decrease feelings of loneliness among participants. It involves watching videos, attending coaching sessions with a community health worker, and providing feedback through interviews.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: SCOOP Intervention Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

SCOOP is a 7-week intervention, delivered primarily over the telephone by community health workers, to support chronic pain self-management and social connectedness.

Group II: Control group Active Control 1 Intervention

Control group participants receive usual care between the baseline and 8-week follow-up survey. After completing the follow-up survey, control participants will be invited to take part in an educational workshop about pain and loneliness and will receive all intervention materials.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Michigan

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,891

Recruited

6,458,000+

Northern Michigan Health Consortium

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

200+

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Collaborator

Trials

1,841

Recruited

28,150,000+

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Collaborator

Trials

1,103

Recruited

1,157,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Learning About My Pain study is a significant trial involving 294 participants that aims to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and educational pain interventions against usual care for chronic pain management.

This study is one of the first funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, emphasizing low-risk psychosocial treatments that may provide benefits without the undesirable side effects associated with medical pain treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Learning About My Pain study protocol: Reducing disparities with literacy-adapted psychosocial treatments for chronic pain, a comparative behavioral trial. Eyer, JC., Thorn, BE.[2018]

A new self-management program for chronic pain, which included pain education and individualized exercises, showed potential to improve function in some participants, with changes ranging from a 59% improvement to a 17% decline among six individuals over 18 weeks.

Participants reported high satisfaction with the program, but variability in outcomes suggests that factors like attendance and social context may influence effectiveness, indicating a need for strategies to enhance adherence and address barriers to participation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Depicting individual responses to physical therapist led chronic pain self-management support with pain science education and exercise in primary health care: multiple case studies. Miller, J., MacDermid, JC., Richardson, J., et al.[2022]

The Pain & Wellness Centre (PWC) in Vaughan, Ontario, successfully implemented a publicly funded interdisciplinary pain management program, serving over 1,000 new patients and demonstrating significant improvements in patient outcomes after 3 months.

This model of care, based on the biopsychosocial approach, showcases the feasibility of providing effective chronic pain management in community settings, aligning with the Ontario Ministry of Health's comprehensive pain strategy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

From (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care) policy to implementation: A retrospective look at a community-based patient-centered model of care for chronic pain. Mailis, A., Lakha, SF.[2022]

A 9-week group program for chronic pain management involving 75 patients led to significant reductions in depression, pain perception, and the need for pain medication, indicating its efficacy in improving coping strategies.

The program also resulted in an increase in employment rates from 20% to 48%, suggesting that effective pain management can enhance patients' ability to return to work, although 21% of participants did not achieve the desired outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pain control: mastery through group experience. Herman, E., Baptiste, S.[2021]

Patients with high-impact chronic pain found the Smerteinfo.dk website valuable for accessing information and reported improvements in understanding their condition (56%) and coping strategies (33%) after using it.

Despite its benefits, users expressed a need for more personalized information and better navigation tools, highlighting the importance of continuous updates and enhancements to the website based on user feedback.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Experience and usability of a website containing research-based knowledge and tools for pain self-management: a mixed-method study in people with high-impact chronic pain. Laerkner, E., Bendix, L., Jäger, M., et al.[2023]

The Chronic Pain Network (CPN) successfully integrated patient partners into its research framework, leading to significant impacts such as building community, enhancing knowledge and skills, and influencing research priorities across various levels of the network.

The evaluation highlighted that patient engagement not only improved individual experiences and coping with chronic pain but also fostered a culture change within the research community, demonstrating the value of including patient perspectives in health research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the impacts of patient engagement on a national health research network: results of a case study of the Chronic Pain Network. Tripp, L., Richards, DP., Daly-Cyr, J., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-07963-x

Engaging with EPIO, a digital pain self-management program This study aimed to gain insight into the experiences of people with chronic pain when engaging with EPIO, an application (app)-based cognitive- ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4869967/

Social pain and physical pain: shared paths to resilience - PMC Two primary contributors to more effective pain adaptation are positive emotional states and meaningful social ties, including social support, which may predict ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405452622000933

The power of connection: Self-care strategies of social ... Health care professionals can learn to facilitate discussions and practice self-care strategies to strengthen connectedness, particular for those at-risk for ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10544689/

Chronic pain patients low in social connectedness report ... Results revealed that lower social connectedness was associated with higher chronic pain ratings, which was mediated by anxiety, but not depression.

5. bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjhp.70000

Thriving when living with chronic pain: A qualitative evidence ... ... data ... Theme 3 (connection) demonstrates how social connection with others can help individuals to thrive when living with chronic pain.

6. jpain.org jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)00559-0/pdf

Living successfully with chronic pain Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the personal experiences of individuals and the pivotal conditions (i.e., those conditions that.

7. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-024-64059-8

Associations between pain intensity, psychosocial factors ... In this study, we aim to examine the associations between psychosocial factors, pain intensity, and pain-related disability among patients with chronic pain.