Acupuncture in the Emergency Department for Pain Management (ACUITY)

December 15, 2025 updated by: Jeffery Dusek, PhD, Case Western Reserve University

Acupuncture in the Emergency Department for Pain Management: A BraveNet Multi-Center Feasibility Study

Our goal is to use the R01 mechanism to conduct a two-arm multisite, feasibility RCT (Acupuncture vs Usual Care) to refine procedures for conducting a future fully powered multi-site RCT. The effort will be led by the BraveNet Coordinating Center at Einstein and include 3 BraveNet PBRN sites University Hospitals/ Case Western Reserve University (UH/Case), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), and University of California-San Diego (UCSD). During Year 1 (Aim 1), we will develop the manualized acupuncture intervention with consensus from experts in the delivery of acupuncture for acute pain. At the end of Year 1 (prior to the start of the RCT), a study investigator meeting will be held to ensure consistent training of all study coordinators and acupuncturists to the study data collection, human subjects, intervention delivery, and reporting requirements. In Year 2-3 (Aim 2), we will enroll 165 participants (55 per site) into the randomized trial (1:1 assignment to Acupuncture or Usual Care) over a ~9-month enrollment period for each site. Sites will participate in the study sequentially, thus general findings from the implementation evaluation may be used to improve implementation at subsequent sites. Treatment outcomes include pain intensity, state anxiety and pain medication utilization within the ED (via EHR data extraction). In Aim 2a, 75 structured qualitative interviews of ED providers, staff, study acupuncturists (~10 per site) and acupuncture patients (~15 per site) and direct observation at each site will be used to identify barriers and facilitators of successful implementation. The Implementation Evaluation includes two broad categories of data: implementation outcomes (collected in Aim 2 as the feasibility study is conducted at each site) and explanatory factors (Aim 2a).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The goal is to use the R01 mechanism to conduct a two-arm multisite, feasibility RCT (Acupuncture vs Usual Care) to refine procedures for conducting a future fully powered multi-site RCT. The effort will include the BraveNet Coordinating Center at Einstein and include 3 BraveNet PBRN sites University Hospitals/ Case Western Reserve University (UH/Case), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), and University of California-San Diego (UCSD). During Year 1 (Aim 1), the investigators will develop the manualized acupuncture intervention with consensus from experts in the delivery of acupuncture for acute pain. Prior to the start of the RCT at all sites, study investigator meetings will be held to ensure consistent training of all study coordinators and acupuncturists to the study data collection, human subjects, intervention delivery, and reporting requirements. In Year 2-3 (Aim 2), the investigators will enroll 165 participants (55 per site) into the randomized trial (1:1 assignment to Acupuncture or Usual Care) over a ~9-month enrollment period for each site. Sites will participate in the study sequentially, thus general findings from the implementation evaluation may be used to improve implementation at subsequent sites. Study outcomes include responsive manualization of acupuncture intervention, recruitment, retention, patient adoption, patient acceptability, and provider acceptability. Measures will be collected including pain intensity, state anxiety and pain medication utilization within the ED (via EHR data extraction). In Aim 2a, 75 structured qualitative interviews of ED providers, staff, study acupuncturists (~10 per site) and acupuncture patients (~15 per site) and direct observation at each site will be used to identify barriers and facilitators of successful implementation. The Implementation Evaluation includes two broad categories of data: implementation outcomes (collected in Aim 2 as the feasibility study is conducted at each site) and explanatory factors (Aim 2a).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
290

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • La Jolla, California, United States, 92093
        • University of California San Diego
    • New York
      • The Bronx, New York, United States, 10461
        • Einstein School of Medicine
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
        • University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University- Cleveland Medical Center
    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
        • Vandebilt University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients ≥18 years of age
  • Ability to communicate in English.
  • Level 3, 4, 5 on triage rate scale
  • Presentation with acute non-emergent (musculoskeletal, back, pelvic, non-cardiac chest, abdominal, flank or head) pain ≥4 on a 0-10-point NRS due to non-penetrating injury.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Fever exceeding 100° F
  • Presenting with a chief complaint of a psychological / psychiatric concern
  • Presenting with chief complaint of Migraine
  • Patient arriving via ambulance or skipping triage
  • Current Pregnancy
  • Self-reported opioid medication taken orally within 4 hours
  • Presenting with chief complaint of Joint Dislocation
  • Presenting with chief complaint of Bone Fracture
  • Confirmed or suspected COVID-19

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Acupuncture
This arm will receive acupuncture for pain management, and any pain medications will be delayed until after receipt of acupuncture.
Procedure: Acupuncture for pain management
A manualized acupuncture protocol will be performed by a licensed acupuncturist in the patient's emergency department room.
Other: Usual care for pain management
Patient will receive usual care for pain management.
Active Comparator: Usual Care
This arm will receive usual care for pain management.
Other: Usual care for pain management
Patient will receive usual care for pain management.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Successful Recruitment of Participants Into the Study.
Time Frame: At Enrollment
The recruitment rate (# enrolled / # approached) were assessed for the overall study. Separate recruitment rates were calculated by site.
At Enrollment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of Participants Retained in the Study at Post Treatment
Time Frame: At post treatment (45-60 minutes)
Retained patients will be defined as those providing patient reported outcomes scores (e.g., pain, anxiety) at post-treatment. Separate retention rates (# retained / # enrolled) will be assessed overall and by site.
At post treatment (45-60 minutes)
Percentage of Patients Retained at 1-week Follow up
Time Frame: One-week after the participant was discharged from the ED
Retained patients will be defined as those providing patient reported outcomes scores at 1 week. Separate retention rates (# retained / # enrolled) will be assessed overall and by site.
One-week after the participant was discharged from the ED
Patient Satisfaction Question 1 at Post-treatment
Time Frame: At post-treatment (45-60 minutes after baseline)
Question 1: "How satisfied are you with how your pain was managed during your ED visit" on the 5-point Likert scale (1-Very Satisfied; 2-Satisfied; 3-Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied; 4-Dissatisfied; 5-Strongly Dissatisfied).
At post-treatment (45-60 minutes after baseline)
Patient Satisfaction Question 2 at Post-treatment
Time Frame: At post-treatment (45-60 minutes after baseline)
"Overall how satisfied are you with your treatment during your ED visit?" on the 5-point Likert scale (1-Very Satisfied; 2-Satisfied; 3-Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied; 4-Dissatisfied; 5-Strongly Dissatisfied).
At post-treatment (45-60 minutes after baseline)
Patient Satisfaction Question 1 at 1-Week
Time Frame: One week after participant was discharged from the ED
"How satisfied are you with how your pain was managed during your ED visit" on the 5-point Likert scale (1-Very Satisfied; 2-Satisfied; 3-Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied; 4-Dissatisfied; 5-Strongly Dissatisfied).
One week after participant was discharged from the ED
Patient Satisfaction Question 2 at 1 Week
Time Frame: One week after participant was discharged from the ED
"Overall how satisfied are you with your treatment during your ED visit?" on the 5-point Likert scale (1-Very Satisfied; 2-Satisfied; 3-Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied; 4-Dissatisfied; 5-Strongly Dissatisfied).
One week after participant was discharged from the ED
Provider Satisfaction Question1
Time Frame: After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
"Do you view acupuncture in general as an appropriate intervention for the ED setting?" on a 5 point scale (0: Very inappropriate; 1: Inappropriate; 2: Neutral; 4: Appropriate; 4: Very appropriate). Higher scores are better.
After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
Provider Satisfaction Question 2
Time Frame: After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
"Do you view acupuncture in general as helpful in managing patient pain in the ED?" on a 5 point scale (0: Not at all helpful; 1: Somewhat Unhelpful; 2: Neutral; 3: Somewhat Helpful; 4: Very Helpful). Higher scores are better.
After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
Provider Satisfaction Question 3
Time Frame: After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
"How satisfied are you with the way that the acupuncture intervention was implemented in your setting" on the 5-point Likert scale (4-Very Satisfied; 3-Satisfied; 2-Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied; 1-Dissatisfied; 0-Very Dissatisfied). Higher scores are better
After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
Provider Satisfaction Que4
Time Frame: After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).
"Did the ACUITY project impose a burden on ED staff in your setting?" on the 4-point Likert scale (0-Not at all a burden; 1-Somewhat of a burden; 2-Moderate burden 3-Extreme burden). Lower scores are better
After enrollment at the provider's site completed (~6 months after first enrollee).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Case Western Reserve University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of California, San Diego
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: M. Diane McKee, MD, University of Massachusetts, Worcester
  • Principal Investigator: Jeffery A Dusek, PhD, University California-Irvine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 3, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 24, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 30, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 5, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 11, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 15, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • R01AT010598-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • R01AT010598 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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