Pain Registry (PR) Biobank
Research repeatedly highlights the complexity of pain and the need to examine the pain experience within a biopsychosocial framework. The Uniformed Services University (USU) Pain Registry Biobank (PR Biobank) is a clinical data registry and tissue biobank serving as a resource for interdisciplinary research endeavors.
When combined with robust patient reported outcomes and clinical data, a pain biobank registry could be of great value to accelerating much needed pain research, especially within the Department of Defense. The PR Biobank utilizes a multidimensional assessment battery, the Pain Assessment Screening Tool Outcomes Registry (PASTOR). PASTOR includes a collection of NIH Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scales, most of which leverage computer adaptive testing, to assess physical, psychological, social, and behavioral symptoms. Additionally, PASTOR includes the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale, and surveys of treatment history and effectiveness. As a uniform assessment, PASTOR mitigates a significant challenge in pain-related research, the lack of standardized, cross-study patient-reported outcomes. It is also standard-of-care in several military treatment facilities. The richness of PASTOR matched with medical record data (e.g., prescription information, surgical history) and biospecimens enables innovative research that can ultimately enhance quality of life for service members, veterans, and civilians.
Currently, the PR Biobank is recruiting at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Naval Medical Center San Diego. DEERS eligible individuals are recruited from a variety of medical settings and can include participants enrolled in other pain- and health-related studies, patients receiving pain-related care within the Military Health System (MHS), or non-clinical research volunteers. This broad inclusion criteria offers the potential to link patient-reported outcomes, medical history, and biomarkers across a diverse range of populations. Research staff obtain permission from clinic providers before approaching patients and only obtain personally identifiable information if the patient expresses interest to the provider. This provides additional assurances of patient privacy. Participants are asked to complete an online survey and provide biospecimens upon enrollment and at follow-ups as follows: 1-3 months, 6-9 months, 12-15 months, and annually. Participants can complete follow-up surveys online without needing to provide biospecimens to remain in the study. Medical record data is abstracted until the participant withdraws.
Researchers who would like to obtain data and biospecimens will be asked to complete a brief application to ensure samples will be used for studies with regulatory approval. An oversight committee will review the applications, as well as manage policies for the collection, storage, and disposition of all clinical samples. If you are interested in participating, collaborating or requesting samples or data, please send us an email.
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Lead Researchers: Peter Bedocs, MD, PhD (peter.bedocs.ctr@usuhs.edu)
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Outcomes:
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Kroma RB, Giordano NA, Highland KB, Bedocs P, McDuffie M, Buckenmaier CC. Implementation of the Uniformed Services University Pain Registry Biobank: A Military and Veteran Population-Focused Biobank and Registry. Pain Med. 2021 Dec 11;22(12):2950-2963. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnab166. PMID: 33983447.
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Pain Registry Biobank: A Protocol for a Novel Approach to Studying Pain. Raymond Bobby Kroma BS, Mary McDuffie BSN RN, Nicholas A. Giordano PhD RN, Kalyn C. Jannace MPH, Peter Bedocs PhD, Krista Beth Highland PhD & Chester Trip Buckenmaier III MD. Military Health System Research Symposium 2019
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