• Marianne S Matthias, Arya L Bolla, Sophia M Bair, Jasma Adams, Johanne Eliacin, Diana J Burgess, and Adam T Hirsh.
• VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication, Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, USA. mmatthia@iu.edu.
• J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Feb 1; 39 (2): 222228222-228.

BackgroundRacial inequities in pain treatment are well-documented and persist despite national priorities focused on health equity. The COOPERATE (Communication and Activation in Pain to Enhance Relationships and Treat Pain with Equity) intervention was a patient-centered, tailored intervention aimed at improving health equity by targeting patient activation-the knowledge and confidence to manage one's health. COOPERATE led to significant and sustained increases in patient activation, significant short-term increases in communication self-efficacy (confidence to communicate with clinicians), and more intervention participants experienced clinically significant (≥ 30%) reductions in pain at 3 months than control group participants.ObjectiveTo understand how participants experienced the intervention, including their perspectives on its effects on their health and healthcare experiences.DesignSemi-structured qualitative interviews.ParticipantsBlack veterans with chronic pain who participated in the COOPERATE intervention.Key ResultsParticipants described acquiring new tools and cultivating skills to use in their clinic visits, including preparing for their visit (writing an agenda, listing questions); asking focused, effective questions; and expressing concerns and communicating goals, values, and preferences. Participants indicated that by putting these tools to use, they felt more confident and able to take ownership of their own pain care; for some, this led to better pain management and improved pain. Participants expressed mixed views of disparities in pain care, with some believing race and racism did not play a role in their care, while others valued being part of an intervention that helped equip them with tools to exercise autonomy over their healthcare.ConclusionsBlack patients with chronic pain described gaining greater confidence to self-manage and communicate with their clinicians after participating in the COOPERATE intervention. With its focus on empowering individuals, the COOPERATE intervention represents a promising approach to help advance equity in pain care.© 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.

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