An interventional study of Peer health coach intervention in Multimorbidity, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-14.
Sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
The VetASSIST study is a randomized clinical trial testing whether receiving virtual health coaching from Veteran peers improves the physical and mental health-related quality of life of Veterans with multiple chronic health conditions and complex healthcare needs. VetASSIST will test the efficacy of an intervention that matches Veteran patients with multimorbidty with Veteran health coaches who will provide education, resources, guidance and support to help them manage their physical and mental health over the course of a year.
The study objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual, Veteran peer-led self-management support program (VetASSIST) to improve health related quality of life (HRQoL) for Veterans with multimorbidity compared to usual care. The investigators will conduct a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial of the intervention among VA Puget Sound patients with multimorbidity. Trained peer health coaches will virtually meet one-on-one with patients to assist in daily self-management by providing information; identifying patients' values and preferences; helping them set goals in alignment with their values and preferences and problem-solve barriers to those goals; modeling skills for effective management; providing social support; linking them to clinical care and community resources; and addressing self-management barriers. Veterans with multimorbidity will be randomized to receive the peer health coaching intervention or usual care. Outcomes will be assessed remotely at baseline and 12 months.
Specific aims are: 1) Test the effect of VetASSIST, compared to usual care, on the primary outcome of baseline to 12-month change in physical HRQoL, and secondary outcomes of mental HRQoL and health care utilization; 2a) Describe differences between VetASSIST and usual care on baseline to 12-month changes in intermediate outcomes reflecting the functions of peer support and intervention targets (self-efficacy, patient activation, health behaviors, social support, perceived access to care, patient-provider communication, and shared decision-making); 2b) Examine whether intermediate outcomes mediate intervention-associated differences in HRQoL; 3) Evaluate feasibility of translating VetASSIST into practice, including evaluation of per patient intervention costs and barriers and facilitators to implementation.
89 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Chronic Conditions; 16 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 298 is above the median of 128 across 71 interventional studies indexed under Multiple Chronic Conditions.
Browse Multiple Chronic Conditions studies →VA Office of Research and Development is the lead sponsor of 1,771 studies on the registry; 392 are open to participants now.
Of its 213 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 185 (87%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will receive 20 virtual visits with a trained Veteran peer health coach over 12 months. Coaches will provide participants with brief health education, assist with goal setting and problem solving, enhance social support, and link participants to VA and community resources.
Behavioral: Peer health coach intervention
Participants will continue to receive their regular, usual primary care.
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to receive a telehealth delivered peer health coach intervention to promote health outcomes and behavior change among Veterans with multimorbidty.
Also known as: VetASSIST
Change in physical health related quality of life (HRQoL)
12 Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) Physical Component Summary: Summary scores for general health, physical functioning, role-physical, and bodily pain. Scaling scores will be assessed using published standardized scoring system procedures for the SF-12 found at: www.researchgate.net/publication/242636950\_SF-12\_How\_to\_Score\_the\_SF-12\_Physical\_and\_Mental\_Health\_Summary\_Scales
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Change in mental health quality of life (HRQoL)
12 Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) Mental Component Summary: Summary scores for vitality, mental health, social functioning, and role-emotional. Scaling scores will be assessed using published standardized scoring system procedures for the SF-12 found at: www.researchgate.net/publication/242636950\_SF-12\_How\_to\_Score\_the\_SF-12\_Physical\_and\_Mental\_Health\_Summary\_Scales
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Health care utilization
Measured by VA clinical and administrative data and self-report responses (non-VA care), including primary care, specialty care, inpatient admissions, emergency department visits. A higher number of visits indicates greater utilization.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Patient activation
Measured by the Consumer Health Activation Index (CHAI) to assess ability to take preventive actions, manage symptoms, find and use medical care, and work with health care providers. Responses are measured as low activation vs. not low activation on a 4-point scale ranging from almost always true (1) to almost never true (4). A higher score indicates lower activation.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Social support
Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 8-Item Social Support Survey Instrument will measure emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal of social support. Social Support is scored using a 5-point response scale ranging from none of the time (1) to all of the time (5). A higher score for an individual scale or overall support index indicates greater support.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Shared decision-making
CollaboRATE will measure explanation of health issues; elicitation and integration of patient preferences. Responses are measured using a 10-point response scale ranging from no effort was made (0) to every effort was made (9). A higher score indicates greater shared decision making.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Diet quality
Starting the Conversation brief dietary assessment and intervention scale will measure diet quality. Responses are measured using a 3-point response scale. Items have a score range of 0, 1, 2. The total ranges from scores of 0 to 16. A higher score indicates a less healthful diet.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Medication adherence
Voils Domains of Subjective Extent of Nonadherence (DOSE-Nonadherence) Reasons for Nonadherence measure will identify possible reasons for nonadherence to prescribed treatment. Medication adherence is scored using a 5-point response scale ranging from none of the time (1) to all of the time (5). Higher scores indicate greater nonadherence.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Tobacco use
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Questionnaire will measure tobacco use. Questions will assess current tobacco use and frequency of use. Current tobacco use includes individuals who report having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their entire life and who report smoking cigarettes now (every day or some days).
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Alcohol use
AUDIT Alcohol Consumption questionnaire (AUDIT-C) will measure alcohol use. A total of 5+ indicates increased or higher risk drinking. An overall total score of 5 or above is AUDIT-C positive.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Sleep impairment/disturbance
PROMIS Sleep Related Impairment and Sleep Disturbance survey will measure sleep disturbance related impairment. Responses are measured on a 5-point scale ranging from not at all (1) to very much (5). A higher score indicates greater sleep disturbance.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
Physical activity
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short form assessment will measure physical activity. We will examine total physical activity in minutes per week, totaling all time from walking, moderate, and vigorous activity in the past 7 days. We will also examine physical activity dichotomously, identifying those meeting recommendations of at least 150 minutes total physical activity per week. We will use standard data cleaning procedures outlined by IPAQ developers, available at www.ipaq.ki.se.
Time frame: Baseline to 12-months
PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Plan to share: No
Started Oct 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 38 months after the start.
Of 59 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Multiple Chronic Conditions, half reached primary completion within 20 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 37. This study's planned 38 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 59 studies reached it within 20 months; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 37.
Multiple Chronic Conditions covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.
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This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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