ARBOR-Telehealth

December 22, 2025: Rural Health Symposium Opens Registration, Announces Call for Abstracts

Posted on by Damon Seils

The Duke University School of Nursing will convene healthcare professionals, educators, researchers, community leaders, and policymakers for a 1-day symposium dedicated to reducing rural health disparities across North Carolina through collaboration and innovation.

On April 20, 2026, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina (and virtually via livestream), participants will come together for dynamic presentations, panels, poster sessions, and discussions with guests, including leaders from ECU Health, Sanford Health, UT-Arlington, and the NC Department of Health and Human Services. A reception will follow the program.

The deadline for abstract submission is February 9, 2026. See more information about the program below.

Did you know the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory supports several innovative pragmatic clinical trials to improve healthcare for rural and remote populations? Learn more about:

  • AIM-CP: Adapting and Implementing a Nurse Care Management Model to Care for Rural Patients with Chronic Pain
  • APA-SM: Personalized Auricular Point Acupressure for Chronic Pain Self-Management in Rural Populations
  • ARBOR-Telehealth: Advancing Rural Back Pain Outcomes Through Rehabilitation Telehealth
  • BeatPain Utah: Nonpharmacologic Pain Management in Federally Qualified Health Centers Primary Care Clinics
  • LungSMART: Population Health Management Approaches to Increase Lung Cancer Screening in Community Health Centers
  • RAMP: Reaching Rural Veterans: Applying Mind-Body Skills for Pain Using a Whole Health Telehealth Intervention

1st Annual Duke University School of Nursing Rural Health Symposium: Innovative Solutions to Addressing Rural Health Disparities

1st Annual Duke University School of Nursing Rural Health Symposium: Innovative Solutions to Addressing Rural Health Disparities

Monday, April 20, 9am-3pm, with Reception to Follow

Duke University Campus and Livestream Webinar

Register Now and Submit Abstracts by February 9

You are warmly invited to participate in the 1st Annual Duke University School of Nursing Rural Health Symposium, a one-day event that will convene healthcare professionals, educators, researchers, community leaders, and policymakers to address rural health disparities across North Carolina through collaboration and innovation.

Date: April 20, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Duke University (with virtual livestream option)

The symposium will feature dynamic presentations, panel discussions, poster sessions, and networking opportunities, including a closing reception. Distinguished speakers will include:

  • Trisha Baise, ECU Health
  • Erica DeBoer, Sanford Health
  • Elizabeth Merwin, University of Texas at Arlington
  • Maggie Sauer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

We invite you to submit abstracts by February 9 to share your research, innovations, and best practices that advance rural health.

Register today: https://duke.is/ruralhealth

Your participation will help foster meaningful dialogue and actionable strategies to improve health outcomes in rural communities. We look forward to your contributions and engagement in this important event.

December 15, 2025: A Year of Trial Results and Innovations From the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory

Posted on by Damon Seils

A collage of journal covers with the label "NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory 2025 Publications Roundup"In 2025, NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory investigators published new study designs and trial results, shared insights from program leadership, and developed innovative methods in the design, conduct, implementation, and dissemination of pragmatic clinical trials. Their work included perspectives from the Coordinating Center, best practices from the Core Working Groups, and results from the NIH Collaboratory Trials.

The program contributed 45 articles to the peer-reviewed literature this year, including the primary results of the ACP PEACE, BackInAction, HiLo, INSPIRE, and PRIM‑ER trials. Cross-Core and cross-Trial collaborations led to the sharing of important lessons from the conduct of multiple NIH Collaboratory Trials.

The total number of published articles from the program reached 386.

Coordinating Center

Cross-Core and Cross-Trial Collaborations

Distributed Research Network

Core Working Groups

Biostatistics and Study Design Core

Community Health Improvement Core

Electronic Health Records Core

Ethics and Regulatory Core

Health Care Systems Interactions Core

Patient-Centered Outcomes Core

NIH Collaboratory Trials

ABATE Infection

ACP PEACE

ARBOR-Telehealth

BackInAction

BeatPain Utah

BEST-ICU

EMBED

FM-TIPS

GGC4H

GRACE

HiLo

I CAN DO Surgical ACP

IMPACt-LBP

INSPIRE

iPATH

LIRE

MOMs Chat & Care Study

NOHARM

Nudge

OPTIMUM

PRIM-ER

SPOT

TAICHIKNEE

June 24, 2025: Study Design Paper Published for ARBOR-Telehealth

Posted on by Damon Seils

ARBOR-Telehealth logoThe study design paper for ARBOR-Telehealth has been published online in BMJ Open. Congratulations to the study team on reaching this important milestone for all NIH Collaboratory Trials!

The ARBOR-Telehealth study is evaluating the use of a telehealth physical therapy strategy for patients who present to primary care clinics with low back pain in rural communities. A secondary aim of the study is to compare the effectiveness of the study’s risk-stratification approach.

The study is being led by Richard Skolasky and Kevin McLaughlin of Johns Hopkins University and is supported by a grant award from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Read the full study design paper.

February 24, 2025: Study Snapshots and Updated Ethics Documentation Available for 3 NIH HEAL Initiative–Supported Trials in Rural Populations

Posted on by Damon Seils

New study snapshots and updated ethics and regulatory documentation are now available for the AIM-CP, ARBOR-Telehealth, and RAMP trials. The 3 NIH Collaboratory Trials, all supported through the NIH HEAL Initiative℠, or Helping to End Addiction Long-Term Initiative℠, reflect a special emphasis on developing strategies for the management of chronic pain in rural and remote populations. The trials have transitioned from the UG3 planning phase to the UH3 implementation phase.

“There are many known disparities between urban and rural populations,” said Karen Kehl, a program director at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), in an interview at the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory’s 2024 Annual Steering Committee Meeting. “And when we talk about chronic pain, we know that there’s a higher incidence and a higher severity of pain in rural populations, and yet they don’t have access to many of the effective solutions that we have,” Kehl added.

AIM-CP

 AIM-CP is testing the implementation of a care management program to address disparate access to nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain in rural populations. The principal investigators are Sebastian Tong and Kushang Patel of the University of Washington. The study is supported by NINR.

 

ARBOR-Telehealth

 ARBOR-Telehealth is evaluating the use of a telehealth physical therapy strategy for patients who present to primary care clinics with low back pain in rural communities. The principal investigators are Richard Skolasky and Kevin McLaughlin of Johns Hopkins University. The study is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

 

RAMP

 RAMP is evaluating the use of a 12-week mind-body skills training program for rural veterans with pain within the VA’s Whole Health initiative, including a one-on-one session with a Whole Health coach followed by 11 weekly group sessions to include prerecorded expert-led education videos, mind-body skills training and practice, and group discussions. The principal investigators are Diana Burgess and Roni Evans of the University of Minnesota and Katherine Hadlandsmyth of the University of Iowa. The study is supported by NINR.

 

January 29, 2025: Early Lessons From ARBOR-Telehealth, an NIH Collaboratory Trial, in This Week’s PCT Grand Rounds

Posted on by Damon Seils

Headshots of Richard Skolasky and Kevin McLaughlinIn this Friday’s PCT Grand Rounds, Richard Skolasky and Kevin McLaughlin of Johns Hopkins University will present “Advancing Rural Back Pain Outcomes Using Rehabilitation Telehealth (ARBOR-Telehealth): Early Progress and Lessons Learned.”

The Grand Rounds session will be held on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 1:00 pm eastern.

ARBOR-Telehealth, an NIH Collaboratory Trial, is evaluating the use of a telehealth physical therapy strategy for patients who present to primary care clinics with low back pain in rural communities. A secondary aim of the study is to compare the effectiveness of the study’s risk-stratification approach. Learn more about ARBOR-Telehealth.

Skolasky is a professor of orthopaedic surgery and the director of the Spine Outcomes Research Center, and McLaughlin is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation—both at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Join the online meeting.

June 27, 2024: NIH HEAL Initiative Turns Attention to Pragmatic Trials in Rural Communities

Posted on by Damon Seils

Three of the newest NIH Collaboratory Trials are supported through the NIH HEAL Initiative℠, or Helping to End Addiction Long-Term Initiative℠, reflecting a special emphasis on developing strategies for the management of chronic pain in rural and remote populations.

“There are many known disparities between urban and rural populations,” said Karen Kehl, a program director at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). “And when we talk about chronic pain, we know that there’s a higher incidence and a higher severity of pain in rural populations, and yet they don’t have access to many of the effective solutions that we have,” Kehl added.

We recently spoke with Kehl, Julie Fritz of the BeatPain Utah trial, and the principal investigators of the AIM-CP, ARBOR-Telehealth, and RAMP trials at the NIH Collaboratory’s 2024 Annual Steering Committee Meeting. They discussed the progress of their studies and the importance of supporting healthcare and promoting health equity in rural communities through pragmatic research.

AIM-CP

 AIM-CP will test the implementation of a care management program to address inequities in access to nonpharmacological treatment for chronic pain in rural populations. The principal investigators are Kushang Patel and Sebastian Tong of the University of Washington. The study is supported by NINR. Learn more about AIM-CP.

ARBOR-Telehealth

 ARBOR-Telehealth will evaluate the use of a telehealth physical therapy strategy for patients who present to primary care clinics with low back pain in rural communities. The principal investigators are Richard Skolasky and Kevin McLaughlin of Johns Hopkins University. The study is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Learn more about ARBOR-Telehealth.

RAMP

 RAMP will evaluate the use of a 12-week mind-body skills training program for rural veterans with pain, including a one-on-one session with a “whole health coach” followed by 11 weekly group sessions to include prerecorded expert-led education videos, mind-body skills training and practice, and group discussions. The principal investigators are Diana Burgess and Roni Evans of the University of Minnesota and Katherine Hadlandsmyth of the University of Iowa. The study is supported by NINR. Learn more about RAMP.

Learn more about the NIH Collaboratory Trials.

December 18, 2023: Ethics Consultation Documents Now Available for ARBOR-Telehealth and I CAN DO Surgical ACP

Posted on by Damon Seils

Ethics and regulatory onboarding documentation for 2 of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory's newest trials is now available. The documents include meeting minutes and supplementary materials summarizing recent discussions of ethics and regulatory issues associated with the ARBOR-Telehealth and I CAN DO Surgical ACP studies.

The consultations took place by video conference and included representation from the studies' principal investigators, members of the NIH Collaboratory's Ethics and Regulatory Core, NIH staff, and NIH Collaboratory Coordinating Center personnel. Both projects are in their planning phase.

ARBOR-Telehealth will evaluate the use of a telehealth physical therapy strategy for patients who present to primary care clinics with low back pain in rural communities. A secondary aim of the study is to compare the effectiveness of the study's risk-stratification approach.

I CAN DO Surgical ACP will identify a system-based approach to help older adults undergoing elective surgery engage in advance care planning. The project will leverage the existing electronic health record and patient portal, PREPARE for Your Care materials to assist patients with completion of advance care planning, virtual healthcare navigators, and electronic nudges. Another goal of the study is to understand digital engagement, language, and social drivers of health that drive engagement in the intervention.

Ethics and regulatory documentation for all of the NIH Collaboratory Trials is available on our Data and Resource Sharing page.

November 1, 2023 Virtual Onboarding Meeting: iPATH, AIM-CP, I CAN DO Surgical ACP, MOMS, RAMP, and ARBOR-Telehealth

NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Onboarding Meeting

November 1, 2023
Virtual

Purpose

Welcome the new UG3 and R01 NIH Collaboratory Trials; provide introductions and an overview of the NIH Collaboratory program; hear from the new UG3 and R01 project teams; and discuss lessons learned from the seasoned NIH Collaboratory Trial investigators.

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Wendy Weber, ND, PhD, MPH
Lesley Curtis, PhD

Overview of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory and a Cooperative Agreement
Beda Jean-Francois, PhD

NIH Collaboratory Coordinating Center: Overview and Goals
Lesley Curtis, PhD

Program Policies and Guidance Documents
Rich Platt, MD, MSc
Gina Uhlenbrauck

Discussion of New NIH Collaboratory Trials

  • iPATH
    Sara Singer, PhD, MBA
  • AIM-CP
    Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH
    Kushang Patel, Phd, MPH
  • MOMs
    Stephanie Fitzpatrick, PhD
  • RAMP
    Diana Burgess, PhD
    Roni Evans, DC, MS, PhD
    Katherine Hadlandsmyth, PhD

Lessons Learned From Seasoned NIH Collaboratory Trials
Moderator: Lesley Curtis, PhD

Panel:

  • Lynn Debar, PhD
  • Angelo Volandes, MD, MPH
  • Susan Huang, MD, MPH
  • Michael Ho, MD, PhD
  • Kathleen Sluka, PT, PhD
  • Andrea Cheville, MD

Closing Remarks
Beda Jean-Francois, PhD
Lesley Curtis, PhD

October 31, 2023: NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Welcomes 5 New NIH Collaboratory Trials

Posted on by Lauren Stewart

The NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory is excited to announce the addition of 5 new large-scale pragmatic clinical trials to its portfolio of innovative NIH Collaboratory Trials, which will extend the program's mission to strengthen the national capacity to implement cost-effective, large-scale research studies that engage healthcare delivery organizations as research partners.

Three of the new projects are funded through the Pragmatic and Implementation Studies for the Management of Pain to Reduce Opioid Prescribing (PRISM) program, a component of the Helping to End Addiction Long-Term Initiative℠, or NIH HEAL Initiative℠, to address the opioid crisis.

  • Reaching Rural Veterans: Applying Mind-Body Skills for Pain Using a Whole Health Telehealth Intervention (RAMP) is a pragmatic trial that will address the challenge of implementing effective, non-opioid interventions for chronic pain management in rural and remote dwelling veteran populations by developing an innovative telehealth evidence-based intervention to address veterans' biophysical, psychological, and social needs. The study is administered by the National Institute of Nursing Research and will be conducted by Diana Burgess of the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Roni Evans of the University of Minnesota, and Katherine Hadlandsmyth of the University of Iowa.
  • Advancing Rural Back Pain Outcomes through Rehabilitation Telehealth (ARBOR-Telehealth) is a pragmatic trial that seeks to understand the effectiveness of telerehabilitation as a method of improving access to physical therapy for patients with chronic lower back pain living in rural communities and improving outcomes of these patients. The study is administered by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and will be conducted by Richard Skolasky Jr and Kevin McLaughlin of Johns Hopkins University.
  • Adapting and Implementing a Nurse Care Management Model to Care for Rural Patients with Chronic Pain (AIM-CP) is a pragmatic trial that seeks to address chronic pain outcomes for individuals living in rural communities by adapting, piloting, and implementing a nurse care management model to test its effectiveness as a nonpharmacologic treatment option. The study is administered by the National Institute of Nursing Research and will be conducted by Sebastian Tong and Kushang Patel of the University of Washington.

The NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory is also adding 2 projects supported by grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

These new NIH Collaboratory Trials join the 4 other trials added to the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory portfolio in 2023, which include BEST-ICU, Chat 4 Heart Health, I CAN DO Surgical ACP, and TAICHIKNEE.