Browsing by Author "Adams, Jasma"

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    Communication and Activation in Pain to Enhance Relationships and Treat Pain with Equity (COOPERATE): Rationale, study design, methods, and sample characteristics
    (Elsevier, 2022-07) Matthias, Marianne S.; Adams, Jasma; Burgess, Diana J.; Daggy, Joanne; Eliacin, Johanne; Flores, Perla; Hirsh, Adam T.; Myers, Laura J.; Perkins, Anthony J.; Menen, Tetla; Procento, Philip; Rand, Kevin L.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Shanahan, Mackenzie L.; Bair, Matthew J.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Chronic pain is associated with profound negative effects, and racial disparities are well-documented in chronic pain treatment. In addition, Black patients report poorer communication with providers and exhibit lower levels of patient activation (self-management self-efficacy) than White patients. Although the causes of healthcare disparities are complex and require intervention at multiple levels, empowering patients is one critical path to achieving health equity. The current study is a coaching intervention focused on increasing patient activation and building communication skills for Black patients with chronic pain. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 250 Black patients with chronic pain were randomized to either the coaching intervention or an attention control arm. Intervention patients attended 6 telephone-delivered individual coaching sessions over 12 weeks. Coaching focused on clarifying and prioritizing goals and on communication skills, such as agenda setting. The primary outcome is patient activation. Secondary outcomes include communication self-efficacy, pain intensity and interference, and psychological functioning. Discussion Having the knowledge and confidence to participate in one's pain care, coupled with the skills needed to effectively communicate with providers, is essential to optimize chronic pain care. This is particularly important for Black patients who often experience lower quality pain care. Interventions such as COOPERATE hold promise for helping patients to acquire the requisite tools to take greater control of their chronic pain care.
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    Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Black Veterans’ Mental Health: A Qualitative Investigation
    (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022-08) Matthias, Marianne S.; Adams, Jasma; Burgess, Diana J.; Daggy, Joanne; Gowan, Tayler M.; Perkins, Anthony J.; Eliancin, Johanne; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Although the disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black Americans are well-documented, we know little about its effects on their day-to-day lives and sense of wellbeing, especially for those who have served in the military. We conducted qualitative interviews with 21 Black veterans to understand their experiences with the pandemic and administered questionnaires about mental health and pandemic impact. Questionnaires indicated mild depression, moderate anxiety and loneliness, and pandemic effects on social support and health care. Interviews revealed that heightened anxiety and stress were driven by not trusting others to take the pandemic seriously, workplace anxiety, comorbidities, and the pandemic's pronounced effects on Black communities. Participants shared insights into these effects, including lack of caution on the part of some and the role of systemic racism. Findings enhance our understanding of how Black veterans have experienced the pandemic and may have important implications for other underserved groups.
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    Evaluation of a peer coach-led intervention to improve pain symptoms (ECLIPSE): Rationale, study design, methods, and sample characteristics
    (Elsevier, 2019) Matthias, Marianne S.; Daggy, Joanne; Adams, Jasma; Menen, Tetla; McCalley, Stephanie; Kukla, Marina; McGuire, Alan B.; Ofner, Susan; Pierce, Emilee; Kempf, Carol; Heisler, Michele; Bair, Matthew J.; Communication Studies, School of Liberal Arts
    Chronic pain is prevalent, costly, and a leading cause of disability. Pain self-management (i.e., employing self-management strategies including behavioral modifications) is an effective, evidence-based treatment. However, implementation and delivery of a pain self-management model is challenging because of time and resources. Peer supported pain self-management offers a promising approach to implementing pain self-management programs using fewer clinical resources. Evaluation of a Peer Coach-Led Intervention for the Improvement of Pain Symptoms (ECLIPSE) is a randomized controlled trial testing effectiveness of peer coach-delivered pain self-management intervention versus controls receiving a class on pain and pain self-management. ECLIPSE is a Hybrid Type 1 study testing effectiveness while examining implementation factors. ECLIPSE enrolled 215 veterans randomly assigned to the peer coaching (N = 120) or control (N = 95) arm. The peer coaching intervention lasts 6 months, with patient-peer coach pairs instructed to talk twice per month. Coaches attend initial training, are provided a detailed training manual, and attend monthly booster sessions. Outcomes are assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 9 months. The primary outcome is overall pain (intensity and interference), measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Secondary outcomes are self-efficacy, social support, pain catastrophizing, patient activation, health-related quality of life, and health care utilization. To maximize implementation potential of pain self-management, innovative delivery methods are needed that do not require additional resources from healthcare teams. A novel and promising approach is a peer-coaching model, in which patients who are successfully managing their pain offer information, ongoing support, and advice to other patients with pain.
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    Peer Support for Self-Management of Chronic Pain: the Evaluation of a Peer Coach-Led Intervention to Improve Pain Symptoms (ECLIPSE) Trial
    (Springer, 2020) Matthias, Marianne S.; Bair, Matthew J.; Ofner, Susan; Heisler, Michele; Kukla, Marina; McGuire, Alan B.; Adams, Jasma; Kempf, Carol; Pierce, Emilee; Menen, Tetla; McCalley, Stephanie; Johnson, Nicole L.; Daggy, Joanne; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: Pain self-management is an effective, evidence-based treatment for chronic pain. Peer support, in which patients serve as coaches for other patients, has been effective in other chronic conditions and is a potentially promising approach to implementing pain self-management programs using fewer clinical resources. Objective: To test a peer coach-delivered pain self-management program for chronic pain. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Participants: Veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Intervention: Intervention patients were assigned a trained peer coach for 6 months. Coaches, who were volunteers, were asked to contact their assigned patients, either by phone or in person, twice per month. Coaches and patients were given an intervention manual to guide sessions. The control group was offered a 2-hour pain self-management class. Main measures: The primary outcome was total pain, assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Secondary outcomes were anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy, social support, patient activation, health-related quality of life, and healthcare utilization. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 9 months. Key results: Two hundred fifteen patients enrolled (120 intervention, 95 control). Adherence to intervention protocol was low, with only 13% of patients reporting having at least the recommended 12 peer coach meetings over the 6-month intervention. BPI total decreased from baseline to 6 months and baseline to 9 months in both groups. At 9 months, this change was statistically significant (intervention, - 0.40, p = 0.018; control, - 0.47, p = 0.006). There was not a statistically significant difference between groups on BPI at either time point. No secondary outcomes improved significantly in either group after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: Patients randomized to peer support did not differ from control patients on primary and secondary outcomes. Other peer support models that do not rely on volunteers might be more effective.