Robert Hurley, MD, PhD, FASA, Executive Director, Pain Service Line and Director of Pain Outcomes Lab |
The Pain Outcomes Lab developed organically within the WF Pain Service Line as physicians and advanced practice clinicians joined the clinical team. Under the leadership of Dr. Robert Hurley, the lab has evolved into a dynamic research enterprise that bridges the gap between clinical care and outcomes research. With over $40 million in active NIH funding and numerous industry-sponsored trials, the lab has become a national leader in pragmatic clinical research, focusing on innovative solutions for chronic pain management, opioid stewardship, and healthcare delivery optimization. Our team of clinician-scientists, research fellows, and clinical research coordinators leverages cutting-edge data analytics, machine learning approaches, and artificial intelligence to analyze large healthcare datasets, including electronic health records and claims data, to answer critical questions about pain management and healthcare delivery. The lab's pioneering work in applying AI to pain research has accelerated the discovery of novel treatment patterns and predictive models, transforming our ability to personalize pain management strategies.
The lab's strength lies in its multidisciplinary approach to pain research, combining expertise in clinical trial design, health informatics, and patient-reported outcomes with sophisticated data science and artificial intelligence capabilities. Through partnerships with the NIH HEAL Initiative, industry leaders, and academic institutions nationwide, we've pioneered several groundbreaking clinical protocols and analytical methodologies that have transformed pain management practices. Our innovative work with large administrative datasets, real-world evidence, and AI-driven analysis has provided crucial insights into healthcare utilization patterns, treatment effectiveness, and outcome prediction. The lab's implementation of electronic patient-reported outcomes through CHOIR (Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry) and development of AI-enhanced clinical decision support tools has been adopted by healthcare systems across the country. The lab serves as a critical training ground for the next generation of pain medicine researchers, with a particular focus on developing clinician-scientists who can leverage clinical expertise, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence to drive evidence-based practice.
Central to our mission is the rapid translation of research findings into clinical practice. Our team has successfully implemented numerous clinical protocols and data-driven decision support tools that have significantly improved patient care, including standardized approaches to perioperative pain management, innovative treatments for chronic pain conditions, and comprehensive opioid stewardship programs. The lab's expertise in analyzing large datasets and developing AI algorithms has enabled us to identify important trends in pain management, predict treatment outcomes, and develop personalized treatment approaches. We maintain a strong focus on pragmatic clinical trials and real-world evidence studies that address pressing clinical challenges, with particular emphasis on conditions such as chronic low back pain, diabetic neuropathy, and post-surgical pain. Through our integrated approach combining clinical expertise, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and commitment to excellence, we continue to advance the field of pain medicine while training the next generation of clinical researchers who will shape the future of pain care.
