Clinical trials

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a VR-based chronic pain management intervention with a virtual AI coach for patients with Opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OM/OUD). The intervention is a single-day 45-minute VR intervention which is subdivided into three smaller sessions: Session 1: A 15-minute AI check-in to ask questions about biopsychosocial health, Session 2: A 20-minute Pain Coping Skills Training (PCST) session offering psychoeducation on managing chronic pain Session 3: A 10-minute stress reduction exercise. The VR sessions will be conducted using hardware (VR Headset Device - Meta Quest 3) and software developed by AugMend Health Company. The study will be conducted in a clinical setting at the Montefiore Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Program (MMPP), a Pain Medicine outpatient specialty practice within a major urban medical center. MMPP providers see thousands of patients every month, some of which have concurrent opioid misuse or OM/OUD.

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand which group of pain control medications work best in adults after rotator cuff surgery.

This is a single institution feasibility study of the updated RestoreMe app. The investigators plan to recruit 150 participants to this study with participants being recruited either prior to the initiation of their curative treatment or during and after completion of their cancer therapy. This design will allow the investigators to assess the feasibility of using the RestoreMe app in both the active treatment setting and follow up/survivorship setting. Information gathered from this feasibility study will inform future trial design for prospective intervention using the RestoreMe app.

The study team proposes a double-blind, comparative effectiveness, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to address the following goal: to determine the relative efficacy and adverse event profile of fosaprepitant compared to the standard of care antiemetic metoclopramide. Fosaprepitant and its active metabolite aprepitant are a relatively new class of antiemetic that exclusively acts in the central nervous system by blocking neurokinin (NK-1) which is a key signaling molecule in the centrally mediated aspects of the vomiting reflex. Currently, fosaprepitant and aprepitant both have only two United Stated Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved indications for nausea and vomiting: chemotherapy-induced and postoperative. Neurokinin inhibitors are highly effective and generally well-tolerated. Therefore, this class of medication may be a more appropriate medication for the millions of patients with nausea and vomiting that seek care in emergency departments (EDs). Intravenous fosaprepitant is converted to the active metabolite aprepitant on the order of minutes and is significantly cheaper to procure at this time.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a technology that helps individuals with diabetes track their sugar levels in real-time, leading to more in-range blood sugars, fewer episodes of dangerously low blood sugar, and improved quality of life. Despite these benefits, CGM is not widely used in primary care settings, where most people receive their diabetes care. The investigators aim to make CGM more accessible and equitably prescribed in primary care practices. The study team will support primary care to increase CGM use with a program called SPARK-CGM (Supporting Primary Care Adoption, Resources, and Knowledge for CGM) across a large network of primary care clinics at Montefiore Medical Center. This program will provide primary care providers (PCPs) with education, tools, and support to incorporate CGM into their routine care for people with diabetes. Investigators plan to test SPARK-CGM to evaluate whether it increases CGM prescriptions who are eligible to receive this technology.

This study aims to compare the efficacy of a one-time IM dose of dexamethasone versus a 5-day course of prednisone in adult ED patients presenting with asthma exacerbations. This is a randomized, controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority trial conducted at two urban EDs within the Montefiore Health System.

This study is testing whether offering buprenorphine treatment directly at syringe service programs (SSPs) helps more people start and stay in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) than referring them to community buprenorphine treatment providers. Buprenorphine is a medication that helps reduce opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The study compares two ways of connecting people to treatment: Referral to a community treatment provider (usual care before the new program begins). Onsite, low-threshold buprenorphine treatment at the SSP, which allows participants to start medication quickly and without having to establish care at another provider. Participants will be adults who have opioid use disorder and are SSP clients. Each SSP will begin offering the new onsite buprenorphine program at different times during the study. Researchers will collect information before and after the new program begins to see how it affects treatment engagement and health outcomes. The study will also examine how easy or difficult it is for SSPs to start and run the new program, how acceptable it is to staff and participants, and whether it is cost-effective. The overall goal is to find better ways to expand access to life-saving opioid treatment in community-based settings.

A research study is being conducted to compare two treatments for long-term low back pain: * One uses the iovera° system, which applies cold to certain nerves in the lower back. * The other is the standard treatment called radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat. The primary objective is to find out which treatment works better to reduce back pain. Participants in this study will be randomly placed in one of the two treatment groups. The clinical research team will check on participant pain levels and overall health before and after the procedure for about 12 months. The entire study will last about 14 months for each participant.

The bidirectional effects between psychological distress and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity mean that not only does increased IBD activity trigger psychological distress, but psychological distress triggers increased IBD activity (i.e., gut-brain interaction). Comorbid psychological distress is linked to increased health resource utilization and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This has prompted calls for integrating psychological care into IBD practice with restoration of quality of life as a clinical target of IBD management alongside endoscopic healing. The IBD Social Cognitive Model (IBD SCM) posits that patient psycho-behavioral modifiers contribute to IBD outcomes and not disease modifiers alone. While a co-localized gastro-psychologist in an IBD medical home is an emerging mode of delivering psycho-behavioral care among people living with IBD, access and scalability of this form of support is not yet widespread, particularly in resource-limited settings. Though many people with IBD have significant psychological distress, mental health care is underutilized with cost cited as a barrier. The emergence of digital interventions in clinical practice presents an opportunity to address access, scalability, and cost barriers. However, current testing of digital interventions to address gut-brain interactions (digital mind-body intervention, DMBI) among people with IBD involves mostly women with high educational attainment who have full time employment and do not receive social service benefits. Individuals with limited resources and those from racial and ethnic minority groups (e.g. Black, Hispanic) often have socioecological factors, such as healthcare access and mental health stigma, that impede their use of psycho-behavioral resources. DMBI development informed by participatory research approaches are, therefore, critical to facilitate equitable engagement and utilization. Beneficial effects of psycho-behavioral treatment among people with IBD are strongest for those who have psychological distress and for acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based approaches. Although high quality evidence demonstrates psychological improvement with DMBI in IBD, feasibility and acceptability of applying DMBI to IBD patients from racial and ethnic minority groups is lacking.

People living with HIV (PLWH) have a higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis than the general population. Comorbid PTSD is also associated with negative HIV-related health outcomes. Unfortunately, little outcome research has examined the usefulness of PTSD treatments for PTSD. This pilot study adapts for PLWH a non-exposure based psychotherapy for PTSD focused on reflecting on one's emotions and relationships and understanding and working through how trauma may have disrupted them. The study team is interested in better understanding the needs of PLWH with PTSD, learning whether PLWH with PTSD find this treatment acceptable and helpful, and beginning to understand the relationship between HIV-related health factors (e.g., inflammation and stress biology) and PTSD, and how these health factors may improve during treatment.

Single-center, open-label, baseline-controlled, pilot study evaluating the use of a Nonablative 1470 nm laser for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and scarring alopecia.

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a VR-based chronic pain management intervention with a virtual AI coach for patients with Opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OM/OUD). The intervention is a single-day 45-minute VR intervention which is subdivided into three smaller sessions: Session 1: A 15-minute AI check-in to ask questions about biopsychosocial health, Session 2: A 20-minute Pain Coping Skills Training (PCST) session offering psychoeducation on managing chronic pain Session 3: A 10-minute stress reduction exercise. The VR sessions will be conducted using hardware (VR Headset Device - Meta Quest 3) and software developed by AugMend Health Company. The study will be conducted in a clinical setting at the Montefiore Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Program (MMPP), a Pain Medicine outpatient specialty practice within a major urban medical center. MMPP providers see thousands of patients every month, some of which have concurrent opioid misuse or OM/OUD.

This is a randomized trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of sequential dual-agent immunotherapy and risk-adapted radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score of at least 50%. Participants will be randomized between two dual-agent immunotherapy regimens: durvalumab + monalizumab versus durvalumab + oleclumab.

The IMPACT study is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluating two commonly used intravenous medications - metoclopramide and acetaminophen - for treating acute post-concussion symptoms in emergency department patients after mild head injury. The study aims to determine which treatment more effectively improves symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, concentration difficulties, and emotional changes within the first week after injury. Participants will be enrolled across two Montefiore emergency departments and followed using a validated post-concussion symptom questionnaire. Findings from this study may help improve evidence-based treatment strategies for patients experiencing concussion-related symptoms after head trauma.

The goal of this pilot study is to test novel, adjunctive pharmacotherapy for patients with opioid use disorder (POUD) who may be at risk for overdose and other poor opioid use disorder (OUD) outcomes even after initiating buprenorphine. The investigator team proposes to test the effectiveness of combined dronabinol (synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol \[THC\]) and Epidiolex (cannabidiol \[CBD\]) - two FDA-approved cannabinoids - to improve retention in buprenorphine treatment and reduce opioid use among POUD who are early in treatment. POUD who are early in treatment are at a critical juncture-a moment of opportunity and motivation, but also of high risk of return to opioid use and loss to follow up.

The goal of this trial is to examine if the completion or omission of a bladder flap impacts the location and formation of cesarean scar niche in women undergoing primary cesarean section. The main question it aims to answer is if omission of a bladder flap changes the prevalence of cesarean scar niche on a 6-8 week postpartum ultrasound. Researchers will compare participants that have a bladder flap made to those that have a bladder flap omitted at time of their primary cesarean delivery. Participants will have routine postpartum care and be asked to return for a 6-8 week postpartum transvaginal ultrasound.

This study will address the gap in coblator wands by comparing the performance of reprocessed coblator wands with new wands in terms of efficiency and technical issues. As part of the evaluation, the investigator team will conduct the technical performance of the life cycle assessment of reprocessed versus new coblation wands based on the methodology described in the literature (see References) in studies of laryngoscopes.

The study will use social media to recruit a diverse sample of people who self-report injecting drugs, assessing the feasibility of online assessments and participants' ability to perform at-home self-administered HIV testing. Participants will complete online questionnaires at baseline and will be mailed HIV testing kits that they will self-administer and mail to a central laboratory. Investigators will track completion of questionnaires and whether at-home self-administered HIV tests were completed and sent to the laboratory.

This is a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial that aims to study if desloratadine can reduce rates of peripheral neuropathy development in patients with breast cancer receiving taxane chemotherapy. Researchers will compare desloratadine to a placebo (look-alike substance with no drug) and use validated neurotoxicity and quality of life questionnaires to determine if desloratadine can be used to prevent or make taxane induced peripheral neuropathy (TPIN) symptoms better.

Diverticulitis is a common condition that causes swelling and pain in part of the colon (the large intestine). Doctors classify it as "mild" when there are no serious complications. For many years, doctors in the United States have treated mild diverticulitis with antibiotics. New studies from Europe suggest that many people with mild diverticulitis may not need antibiotics and can get better with just pain medicines. But this approach has not been tested in the United States, where antibiotics are still the standard treatment. The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if people with mild diverticulitis can be safely treated at home without antibiotics. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are people treated without antibiotics admitted to the hospital more often than people treated with antibiotics? * Do people treated without antibiotics have more emergency room visits, worsening of their disease, or need for surgery? Researchers will compare two groups of people who come to the emergency department with mild diverticulitis to see if treatment without antibiotics is as safe as treatment with antibiotics. Participants will: * Be sent home with pain medicines (ibuprofen and acetaminophen) only, or with pain medicines plus an antibiotic taken by mouth for 7 days * Follow a liquid diet and slowly return to normal food as they feel better * Come back to clinic for a check-up at 1 to 2 weeks * Answer phone calls about their health at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

The investigator team proposes a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy comparative effectiveness trial conducted in two urban emergency departments (EDs) in the Bronx, New York. This study is designed to determine the relative efficacy of IV acetaminophen compared to PO acetaminophen in treating pelvic pain. This design focuses on the early onset of action and short-term efficacy, which may better capture potential differences between IV and PO acetaminophen in the acute ED setting.

The study team proposes a randomized, double-blind, RCT to address the following goal: to determine the relative efficacy and adverse event profile of fosaprepitant compared to the standard of care antiemetic ondansetron. Fosaprepitant and its active metabolite aprepitant are a relatively new class of antiemetic that exclusively acts in the central nervous system by blocking neurokinin (NK-1) which is a key signaling molecule in the centrally mediated aspects of the vomiting reflex. Currently, fosaprepitant and aprepitant both have only two United Stated Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved indications for nausea and vomiting: chemotherapy-induced and postoperative. Neurokinin inhibitors are highly effective and generally well-tolerated. Therefore, this class of medication may be a more appropriate medication for the millions of patients with nausea and vomiting that seek care in EDs. Intravenous fosaprepitant is converted to the active metabolite aprepitant on the order of minutes and is significantly cheaper to procure at this time. The outcome for the efficacy analysis will be no need for additional medication to treat nausea and vomiting within 2 hours of investigational medication administration. The primary outcome for the tolerability analysis will be the development of any new symptom within 2 hours of medication administration.

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of administering DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) to patients with relapsed Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma who have completed all planned therapy and have no evidence of disease.

The investigator team proposes a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to test a discharge opioid taper support ("DOTS") intervention that is embedded in the providers' workflow in the EHR to prompt them to prescribe an opioid taper for patients after orthopedic surgery that is tailored to patients' expected analgesic needs. DOTS includes: 1) a recommendation for a patient-specific opioid taper schedule based on opioid use prior to discharge, 2) an automated discharge opioid prescription based on the recommended taper schedule that providers can override, 3) a patient facing handout and 4) post-discharge telephonic support for patients. Providers will be randomly assigned 1:1 to 2 groups and who will each be assigned to DOTS ("DOTS providers") or TS ("TS providers") in a step-wedge design. EHR data will be extracted and telephone surveys of 100 patients over 12 weeks will be conducted after hospital discharge. The two specific aims are: 1. To determine the effectiveness of DOTS for reducing excessive opioid prescribing after orthopedic surgery. Hypothesis 1: Patients discharged by DOTS providers will be prescribed a lower initial mean morphine equivalent daily dose (MMED), fewer opioid pills, and over 12 weeks, will have fewer subsequent opioid prescriptions and incident long-term opioid therapy, compared to patients discharged by non-DOTS providers. Hypothesis 2. Age and frailty will be moderators; DOTS will be more effective at reducing excessive prescribing to older (65 years and older) and frailer patients. 2. To determine the positive and negative impact of DOTS on patient outcomes. Hypothesis 3: Compared to patients of non-DOTS providers, patients of DOTS providers will have improved pain and function, fewer adverse events, and less emergency post-operative care. Hypothesis 4: Age and frailty will be moderators; DOTS will be more effective at improving positive and reducing negative outcomes in older and frailer patients.

The objective of this study is to evaluate how an ultrasound-guided percutaneous procedure, TENEX, can help people with chronic hip pain resulting from a condition called Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) and to characterize the efficacy of percutaneous tenotomy (PUT) using TENEX®, a device used for the treatment of various tendinopathies. In this study an ultrasound (US) is performed to guide the partial release of gluteus medius and minimus and Iliotibial band tendons in patients diagnosed with refractory Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) vs control. The investigator team hypothesizes that the new TENEX can improve the pain level for individuals with GTPS to help those individuals perform their activities of daily living (ADLs), e.g., walking, standing, and side-lying, as well as demonstrate less medication utilization. The study predicts that this percutaneous outpatient procedure can decrease pain, increase mobility, and decrease medication utilization. The study team hypothesizes that PUT can improve the pain level and function for individuals suffering with GTPS. The study will assess walking, standing, and side-lying tolerance, as well as medication utilization. The investigator team predicts that this percutaneous outpatient procedure can decrease pain and medication utilization while increasing mobility.