Research Center: Cambridge Health Alliance
Location: This is an online study in Massachusetts
Lead Researcher: Dr. Paula Gardiner
IRB: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Cambridge Health Alliance Institutional Review Board

Dealing with chronic pain? Living with ongoing discomfort is challenging; it doesn’t just impact your body but also takes a toll on your mind and emotions. Finding effective ways to manage chronic pain is important for maintaining a good quality of life.

This study aims to learn more about a mindfulness program named Our Whole Lives (OWL), for people with chronic pain. It seeks to understand their experiences, offering a supportive space to discover new ways to ease pain and improve well-being. If you’re going through the challenges of chronic pain, researchers from the Cambridge Health Alliance warmly invite you to join the study, share your story, and contribute to finding knowledge and solutions together.

• Participants will be able to experience an online mindfulness program for chronic pain at no cost.
• Participants will be compensated up to $125 for participating in this study. Compensation will only be given for each study task that participants complete. They will be given payment once each study task is complete. If they complete every task in this study, then they will be compensated a total of $125 for their time and effort
• Participants may learn how to manage their chronic pain.
• Participants will be contributing valuable information that may benefit those with chronic pain in the future.
• Participants will be helping to advance medical research.

• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time.
• Any information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.
• Qualified health professionals will monitor your health as it relates to the study.

• Men and women over the age of 18 years old who struggle with chronic pain
• Must be experiencing chronic muscle, bone, or joint pain within the past 3 months
• Must not be diagnosed with cancer or any severe medical conditions that may affect their physical or cognitive abilities
• Must not be pregnant or planning to get pregnant
• Must be fluent in English
• Must be able to participate in the online research study for 24 weeks

The study team will explain the research in its entirety but some details are:

• Participants will be asked to participate in an online mindfulness-based program named OWL (Our Whole Lives) for people who have chronic pain. OWL is hosted on a platform called GEMINI.
• Participants may be asked to engage with OWL, in addition to attending weekly group visits on Zoom.
• Participants will be asked to complete surveys at the beginning of the study, and then again during Week 10, Week 16, and Week 24. These surveys will be delivered online. They may also be asked to participate in an optional focus group or an individual interview.

Cambridge Health Alliance
Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) is a vibrant, innovative health system dedicated to providing equity and excellence for everyone, every time. With over 140,000 patients in Boston’s metro-north region, CHA is proud to offer the healthcare people need most in their lives.

Please note:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the study will be conducted remotely which means there will be no in-person visits, allowing you to participate in the comfort of your own home.