Equity Using Interventions for Pain and Depression - Pilot Study

This project is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative (https://heal.nih.gov/). This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) is part of phase 1 of a two-phase, 5-year project with the overarching goal of testing a decision aid (DA)/coaching intervention, tailored to Black patients with comorbid chronic pain and depression, to encourage use of and adherence to nonpharmacological pain treatments (NPTs). This 2-arm pilot trial randomized 30 Black patients with comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression in primary care from an urban safety-net health system. After the baseline assessment, patients randomized to the intervention were asked to participate in 4 coaching sessions over approximately 12 weeks. Sessions used Motivational Interviewing principles to foster openness to NPTs and self-efficacy by helping patients identify their goals and priorities, understand their NPT options, prepare them to discuss and choose options with their primary care providers (PCPs), and reinforce these choices to foster maintenance of these changes. DA contents were integrated into these sessions, which facilitated discussion of these options with their PCP. The first 3 sessions ideally took place prior to the patient's next scheduled PCP visit; the final session occurred after this visit. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 3 months (i.e., after completing the final coaching session), and 6 months. Patients randomized to the wait-list control group received usual care (in addition to study assessments at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months). After completing the final assessment, they were given the DA and offered a 20-minute coaching session to walk them through it (patients could decline the coaching session).