William Becker, MD
ProfessorDownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Appointments
General Internal Medicine
Primary
Contact Info
General Internal Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mailstop 151B, 950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
United States
About
Titles
Professor
Biography
Dr. William C. Becker is a general internist with clinical epidemiology, addiction medicine and pain management training, whose research, educational and clinical efforts broadly aim to improve the quality of chronic pain treatment in general medical settings, especially in the complex overlap of chronic pain and opioid use disorder. He directs the Opioid Reassessment Clinic at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and is PI or co-PI of several research projects through the VA, NIH, PCORI and the FDA.
Appointments
General Internal Medicine
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Fellow
- Yale University (2007)
- Chief Resident
- Yale University (2005)
- Resident
- Yale University (2004)
- Intern
- Yale University (2002)
- MD
- Temple University School of Medicine (2001)
- BA
- Yale University (1995)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Analgesics, Opioid; Chronic Pain; Internal Medicine
ORCID
0000-0002-0788-1467
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of William Becker's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of William Becker's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics William Becker is interested in exploring.
David Fiellin, MD
Sara N Edmond, PhD
Anne C. Black, PhD
Robert Kerns, PhD
Minhee Sung
Joseph Lucien Goulet, PhD, MS
37Publications
1,543Citations
Analgesics, Opioid
Chronic Pain
Publications
2024
Disparities in Receipt of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US Veterans Health Administration.
Sung M, León C, Reisman J, Gordon K, Kerns R, Li W, Liu W, Mitra A, Yu H, Becker W. Disparities in Receipt of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US Veterans Health Administration. Substance Use & Addiction Journal 2024, 29767342241293334. PMID: 39569566, DOI: 10.1177/29767342241293334.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMOUD receiptElixhauser Comorbidity IndexOpioid use disorderSocial determinants of healthVeterans Health Administration electronic health record dataElectronic health record dataUS Veterans Health AdministrationDeterminants of healthVeterans Health AdministrationHealth record dataProportion of veteransReceipt of medicationsSubstance useComorbidity indexTargeted outreach effortsUse disorderCOVID-19 pandemicProportion of patientsSocial determinantsReceipt of MOUDHealth AdministrationRecord dataEffect sizeMOUD engagementCalculated proportionsGuideline concordant opioid therapy in Veterans receiving VA and community care
Ma P, Cheng Y, Goulet J, Sandbrink F, Brandt C, Spevak C, Kean J, Becker W, Libin A, Shara N, Sheriff H, Houston J, Butler J, Workman E, Agrawal R, Kupersmith J, Zeng-Treitler Q. Guideline concordant opioid therapy in Veterans receiving VA and community care. BMC Health Services Research 2024, 24: 1284. PMID: 39456008, PMCID: PMC11515256, DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11742-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDual-system usersGuideline concordant careConcordant careVA servicesCommunity careElectronic health record dataHealth record dataRates of guideline concordanceVA Medical CenterOpioid therapyAdherence to specific guidelinesBaltimore VA Medical CenterGuideline adherenceGuideline concordanceAdherence ratesGuideline recommendationsRecord dataCareDemographic factorsMedical CenterVeteransComorbid conditionsOpioid crisisUrine drug screensSpecific guidelinesLong-Term Use of Muscle Relaxant Medications for Chronic Pain
Oldfield B, Gleeson B, Morford K, Adams Z, Funaro M, Becker W, Merlin J. Long-Term Use of Muscle Relaxant Medications for Chronic Pain. JAMA Network Open 2024, 7: e2434835. PMID: 39298168, PMCID: PMC11413720, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.34835.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLow back painBack painSkeletal muscle relaxantsChronic painRandomized clinical trialsNeck painCohort studyEfficacy of long-term useLong-term useSystematically searched Ovid MEDLINEMuscle relaxant medicationsModerate risk of biasOpioid prescribing guidelinesRisk of biasQuality of cohort studiesWeb of SciencePainful crampsRelaxant medicationsChronic pain syndromesPainful spasmsOvid MEDLINEPrescribing guidelinesSystematic reviewIncreased prescriptionModerate riskFactors associated with participation in a walking intervention for veterans who smoke and have chronic pain
Muller R, Driscoll M, DeRycke E, Edmond S, Becker W, Bastian L. Factors associated with participation in a walking intervention for veterans who smoke and have chronic pain. Journal Of Behavioral Medicine 2024, 47: 994-1001. PMID: 39143444, DOI: 10.1007/s10865-024-00511-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFactors associated with participationCognitive behavioral interventionPain locationCounseling sessionsAverage daily step countPain self-management interventionMedian daily stepsDaily step countIntegrated smoking cessationSelf-management interventionsTelephone counseling sessionsChronic painModerate pain intensityMedian pack-yearsMultivariate logistic regressionWalking interventionLE painDaily stepsStep countsPain interferenceWalk componentSmoking cessationPain intensityPack-yearsIncreased oddsImplementation, intervention, and downstream costs for implementation of a multidisciplinary complex pain clinic in the Veterans Health Administration
Daniels S, Cave S, Wagner T, Perez T, Edmond S, Becker W, Midboe A. Implementation, intervention, and downstream costs for implementation of a multidisciplinary complex pain clinic in the Veterans Health Administration. Health Services Research 2024, 59: e14345. PMID: 38956400, PMCID: PMC11540574, DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14345.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationIntervention sitesIntervention costsHealth AdministrationPain clinicDownstream costsQuasi-experimental study designChronic painVA administrative dataAverage intervention costComplex chronic painRoutes of careActivity-based cost dataHealthcare utilization costsVA Medical CenterHistory of chronic painMicro-costing methodImplementation facilitatorsHospice patientsCost of treating patientsControl groupAdministrative dataInpatient costsIntervention cohortClinically similar characteristicsT50 Receipt of Prescribed Opioids and Benzodiazepines After Non-Fatal Overdose and Risk of Subsequent Overdose
Howell B, Black A, Lin H, Lauretta G, Heimer R, Hawk K, D'Onofrio G, Fiellin D, Becker W. T50 Receipt of Prescribed Opioids and Benzodiazepines After Non-Fatal Overdose and Risk of Subsequent Overdose. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2024, 260: 110499. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110499.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsODD: A Benchmark Dataset for the Natural Language Processing Based Opioid Related Aberrant Behavior Detection.
Kwon S, Wang X, Liu W, Druhl E, Sung M, Reisman J, Li W, Kerns R, Becker W, Yu H. ODD: A Benchmark Dataset for the Natural Language Processing Based Opioid Related Aberrant Behavior Detection. Annual Meeting 2024, 2024: 4338-4359. PMID: 39224833, PMCID: PMC11368170.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsBenchmark datasetsState-of-the-art natural language processing modelsNatural language processing modelsState-of-the-artLanguage processing modelsAberrant behaviorDetection datasetMacro-average areaBehavior detectionPrecision recall curveDiagnosed opioid dependencePerformance improvementRecall curveDatasetProcess modelExperimental resultsCentral nervous system-relatedOpioid dependenceNervous system-relatedMedication changesOpioidBenchmarksFocus on Function: Aligning Patient Values with Clinician Reassessment of Long-Term Opioid Therapy
Edmond S, Becker W. Focus on Function: Aligning Patient Values with Clinician Reassessment of Long-Term Opioid Therapy. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2024, 39: 2108-2109. PMID: 38806796, PMCID: PMC11306475, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-08821-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricPrescription Opioid Dose Change Prior to Fatal Opioid-Detected Overdose.
Kazemitabar M, Howell B, Becker W, Lin H, Grau L, Heimer R, D'Onofrio G, Hawk K, Fiellin D, Black A. Prescription Opioid Dose Change Prior to Fatal Opioid-Detected Overdose. Journal Of Studies On Alcohol And Drugs 2024 PMID: 38775307, DOI: 10.15288/jsad.24-00026.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrescribed opioidsOpioid dose changesRapid dose increaseNon-HispanicOverdose deathsToxicological resultsNon-prescription opioidsBlack non-HispanicMorphine equivalentsOpioid therapyWhite non-HispanicDose changesDaily doseMean ageDispensed opioidsPrescription opioidsPrescribing patternsOpioidDose increaseOpioid overdose crisisIncreasing dosesStudy investigated patternsEffect of timeEffects of ageSecondary analysisIdentifying provider, patient and practice factors that shape long-term opioid prescribing for cancer pain: a qualitative study of American and Australian providers
Fereydooni S, Lorenz K, Azarfar A, Luckett T, Phillips J, Becker W, Giannitrapani K. Identifying provider, patient and practice factors that shape long-term opioid prescribing for cancer pain: a qualitative study of American and Australian providers. BMJ Open 2024, 14: e082033. PMID: 38514141, PMCID: PMC10961503, DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082033.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPractice-related factorsLong-term opioid prescribingPrescribed long-term opioid therapyQualitative studyOpioid prescribingQuality of careProvider-related factorsLong-term prescribingPatient’s social contextLong-term opioid therapyAlternative pain therapiesCancer-related painConcurrent qualitative studyDisadvantaged patientsHealthcare interventionsExacerbate disparitiesIdentified providersAustralian providersOpioid practicesSocioeconomic statusSecondary analysisPrescribed opioidsCancer painProvidersPrescribing
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Engaging Veterans Seeking Service-Connection Payments in Pain Treatment (PragmaticSBIRT)
HIC ID2000022664RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date09/30/2023Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18 years - 100 years
News
News
- December 02, 2024
Pain Management Collaboratory Coordinating Center Receives Grant to Continue Research
- April 30, 2024
Amid Opioid Overdose Crisis, Yale Program in Addiction Medicine Advises State on Drug Company Settlement Spending
- September 14, 2023
New Professors in the Department of Internal Medicine
- July 05, 2023Source: BMC Primary Care
Video-Telecare Collaborative Pain Management During COVID-19: A Single-Arm Feasibility Study
Get In Touch
Contacts
Academic Office Number
Mailing Address
General Internal Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mailstop 151B, 950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
United States
Locations
PRIME Center of Innovation, Bldg 35A
Academic Office
VA Connecticut Healthcare
950 Campbell Avenue, Fl 1st Fl, Rm Rm #109
West Haven, CT 06516