Project Summary

Chronic pain affects about 25% of adults in the United States, with nearly half seeking care in primary care settings. While integrating behavioral health into primary care has been shown to improve outcomes for mental and physical health conditions, it has not been widely used for chronic pain management. This multisite, 3-arm, pragmatic, cluster randomized trial will test the effectiveness of an adapted behavioral health integration toolkit to improve chronic pain care. The trial will compare (1) the toolkit combined with digital therapeutic apps, (2) the toolkit alone, and (3) usual care across 27 primary care practices within health systems and research networks serving underserved populations, including Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities, as well as those with low income. The intervention includes a guided approach to engage in a practice-centric effort to target and improve integrated behavioral health for patients with chronic pain, training behavioral health providers in chronic pain care, selecting evidence-based apps for home use, and engaging a community advisory board of patients, providers, and health system leaders. The study will assess outcomes such as reduced pain interference, improved integrated behavioral health, implementation success, and equitable access. The goal is to expand access to high-quality, team-based chronic pain care in primary care settings and reduce disparities in treatment and outcomes.

NIH Project Information