Ongoing Projects

Dr. Ryan Olson

Occupational Health Psychology, Ergonomics and Safety

Grant Number: U19 OH010154 (NIOSH)

In our preliminary research, over 50% of home care workers have met the study-specific criteria indicating elevated levels of pain. Chronic pain among these workers poses a significant risk of progressing towards work-related disability and various pain-related complications, including the misuse of prescription drugs like opioids.

COMPASS for Navigating Pain is a translational study that assess the efficacy of an intervention tailored for home care workers suffering from chronic pain. Leveraging the proven framework of the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center intervention, COMPASS (COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support), COMPASS for Navigating Pain endeavors to enhance worker well-being while mitigating the progression of pain and its associated challenges, such as work-related disability and opioid misuse. COMPASS for Navigating Pain aims to achieve these outcomes through a supportive group program completed online over 10 weeks. The original program was adapted to include strengthened ergonomic protections and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy strategies for pain self-management. A successful pilot study was completed and a randomized controlled trial is in progress.