Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42767945›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of family medicine2026

Social Support in Group Medical Visits for Chronic Pain in Primary Care.

Hee Joo Ko, Jhia L N Jackson, Ariana Thompson-Lastad, Jesse Wennik, Pamela Swedlow, Maria T Chao

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of family medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hee Joo KoOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Jhia L N JacksonOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Ariana Thompson-LastadOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Jesse WennikSan Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California.
Pamela SwedlowSan Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California.
Maria T ChaoOsher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California Maria.Chao@ucsf.edu.

Funding

Group-based Integrative Pain Management: A multi-level approach to address intersectional stigma and social isolation in diverse primary care safety net patients with chronic painR33MD018333 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CHAO, MARIA T · 2024 to 2024
$3.8M
Group-based Integrative Pain Management: A multi-level approach to address intersectional stigma and social isolation in diverse primary care safety net patients with chronic painR61MD018333 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CHAO, MARIA T · 2022 to 2022
$1.6M
Produce Prescriptions and Group Medical Visits: Addressing Food Insecurity and Social Isolation in Primary CareK01MD015766 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Ariana Lauren Thompson-Lastad · 2022 to 2026
$687k
NIMHD NIH HHS K01 MD015766NIMHD NIH HHS R33 MD018333NIMHD NIH HHS R61 MD018333
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSocial support is associated with improved outcomes for people with chronic pain and is an important but understudied component of biopsychosocial pain care. We sought to explore how group medical visits facilitate 4 distinct types of social support-emotional, appraisal, informational, and instrumental-among primary care patients with chronic pain.

methodsWe collected qualitative data within a randomized trial of integrative group medical visits for chronic pain, focusing on 2 cohorts of English-speaking patients randomized to group medical visits. Data came from 16 observed group medical visits, 2 focus groups, and 12 semistructured interviews. The group medical visit intervention entailed 12 weekly sessions combining clinical care, pain education, mindfulness meditation, therapeutic movement, and facilitated discussion. We analyzed data using team-based flexible coding and codebook thematic analysis.

resultsThe 26 participating patients were predominantly low-income (80.8% had an annual household income of less than $50,000); 50.0% identified as Black or African American, 15.4% as Hispanic or Latine, and 23.1% as White. On average, they had severe pain with a mean intensity rating of 7.7 out of 10. All 4 social support types emerged through structured program components (curriculum, facilitation strategies, program structure) and interactions among peers and facilitators. Emotional support fostered belonging and countered isolation and stigma. Appraisal support normalized struggles and fostered self-compassion. Informational support combined interactive education with peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Instrumental support provided concrete assistance.

conclusionsOur findings illustrate how group medical visits for chronic pain mobilize 4 interwoven and reinforcing forms of social support as core therapeutic processes. They also highlight group medical visits as a potential model for biopsychosocial chronic pain management among primary care patients.

Indexed as

Chronic PainPain ManagementShared Medical AppointmentsSocial SupportAdultFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrimary Health CareQualitative ResearchSocial Groupbiopsychosocial modelchronic paindelivery of caregroup medical visitsoffice visitspain managementpeer grouppractice-based researchprimary caresafety-net providerssocial supportvulnerable populations

Identifiers

PMID42767945
PMCPMC13592907

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.