Marianne S. Matthias, PhD

Contact : mmatthia@iu.edu

If patients and their doctors have a relationship marked by mutual trust and a strong therapeutic alliance, they are better positioned to candidly discuss all chronic pain treatment options, including risks and benefits of opioid treatment, with the ultimate goal of developing the most appropriate, effective treatment plan for each patient.

Initiatives

Care Delivery

Research Scientist, William M. Tierney Center for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute
Core Investigator, VA HSR&D Development Center for Health Information and Communication, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center
Research Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine

Dr. Matthias is a health communication specialist. She focuses on communication in chronic pain care and in mental health, with specific research interest in patient-provider communication and clinical decision-making. She earned a PhD in health communication from Purdue University, is a member of the Roudebush VA Medical Center’s Ethics Consultation Committee and serves on the editorial board of the journal Pain Medicine.

Dr. Matthias’ research interests also extend to patient-provider communication through secure messaging, shared decision-making in mental health settings, and healthcare and health communication disparities. Methodologically, Dr. Matthias approaches research using a variety of methods, including qualitative interviews, clinical observation, and randomized controlled trials. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in the Indiana University School of Medicine and also directs the Patient Safety Fellowship Program in the VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication.

Featured Projects

Communication and Activation in Pain to Enhance Relationships and Treat Pain with Equity – COOPERATE

(IIR – VA HSR&D) (2018-2022)

Role: Principal Investigator

Minority patients, including Veterans, are more likely to be under-treated for pain. This study aims to engage Black Veterans with chronic pain and compare health outcomes between a 6-session telephone-delivered patient activation and communication intervention with an attention control. This study will also examine patient activation as a mediator of clinical outcomes and explore facilitators and barriers to the effective implementation of the COOPERATE intervention.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: Do Modifications Affect Veterans or Implementation - CBT-CP MAVEN

(IIR – VA HSR&D) (2018-2022)

Role: Co-Investigator

This project includes a VA-wide survey of CBT-CP providers to assess common modifications made to CBT-CP in the field and to identify what motivates providers to modify CBT-CP and the effects of modification on Veteran outcomes.

Testing two scalable, Veteran-centric mindfulness-based interventions for chronic musculoskeletal pain: A pragmatic, multisite trial

(DoD) (2018-2023)

Role: Co-Investigator

This project aims to reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain and co-morbid conditions among Veterans through scalable, non pharmacologic, evidence-based strategies.

Impacts of COVID-19 on African American Veterans with Chronic Pain

(VA HSR&D) (2020-2021)

Role: Principal Investigator