William Becker, MD
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General Internal Medicine
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General Internal Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mailstop 151B, 950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
United States
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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.
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
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
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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
Anne C. Black, PhD
Sara N Edmond, PhD
Minhee Sung
Robert Kerns, PhD
Joseph Lucien Goulet, PhD, MS
55Publications
1,764Citations
Analgesics, Opioid
Chronic Pain
Publications
2025
Management of low back pain among Medicaid beneficiaries: modalities, patterns, and perspectives across states
Tormohlen K, Luo C, Ahsan A, Coleman B, Dow P, Becker W, Haegerich T, McGinty E. Management of low back pain among Medicaid beneficiaries: modalities, patterns, and perspectives across states. Health Affairs Scholar 2025, 3: qxaf180. DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxaf180.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsLow back painLow-value careChronic pain expertsMedicaid beneficiariesPain expertsValue careBack painManagement of low back painLow back pain diagnosisLow back pain treatmentLong-term opioid therapyBack pain diagnosisBack pain treatmentNon-opioid analgesic medicationsNon-pharmacological methodsModality of treatmentCause of disabilityPatterns of treatmentConclusions BarriersOpioid therapyConservative therapyPain specialistsPain diagnosisHigh-dosePain treatmentThe Illusion of Choice—Buprenorphine Without Implementation—Reply
Becker W, Seal K, Krebs E. The Illusion of Choice—Buprenorphine Without Implementation—Reply. JAMA Internal Medicine 2025, 185: 1179-1179. PMID: 40720138, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.3162.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInitial Long-Term Opioid Prescriptions Among Veterans With and Without Kidney Disease
Ma J, Zhang S, Garcia A, Giannitrapani K, Boothroyd D, Bozkurt S, Black A, Kurella Tamura M, Midboe A, Troszak L, Bowling C, Becker W, Lorenz K. Initial Long-Term Opioid Prescriptions Among Veterans With and Without Kidney Disease. Journal Of Pain And Symptom Management 2025, 70: e287-e290. PMID: 40701223, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2025.07.012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDemographic, Socioeconomic, and Clinical Variables Associated With Nonmedical Pharmaceutical Opioid Use and Heroin Use Among US Adults in 2021 to 2022.
Moss M, Buonora M, Becker W. Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Clinical Variables Associated With Nonmedical Pharmaceutical Opioid Use and Heroin Use Among US Adults in 2021 to 2022. Substance Abuse 2025, 29767342251348150. PMID: 40667774, DOI: 10.1177/29767342251348150.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsUS adultsOpioid useLower self-rated healthSelf-rated healthSevere mental illnessNational Survey on Drug Use and HealthDrug Use and HealthPublic health effortsHeroin useClinical variablesMultivariate logistic regression modelCross-sectional studyAssociated with opioid useLogistic regression modelsSedative/tranquilizer useOpioid overdose epidemicOpioid use patternsMental illnessHealth effortsMiddle age groupNonmedical opioid usePharmaceutical opioid useNonmedical stimulant useSocioeconomic variablesMultisubstance useCharacteristics of Veterans Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: An Observational Cohort Study
Jones K, Mandavia A, Gurewich D, Wyse J, Sung M, Becker W, Livingston N. Characteristics of Veterans Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: An Observational Cohort Study. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 1-4. PMID: 40588710, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09657-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricIncorporating Patient and Provider Voices into the Veterans Pain Care Organizational Improvement Comparative Effectiveness Study: Informing Future Implementation
Hagedorn H, Purcell N, DeRonne B, Salameh H, Becker W, Seal K, Krebs E. Incorporating Patient and Provider Voices into the Veterans Pain Care Organizational Improvement Comparative Effectiveness Study: Informing Future Implementation. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 1-13. PMID: 40481383, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09639-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInterdisciplinary pain teamVeterans Health AdministrationClinical championsProcess evaluationLeadership supportReducing opioid useConclusionThis process evaluationQualitative process evaluationPrimary care settingOpioid useComparative effectiveness studiesRE-AIMPatient involvementConstructs of implementationPain teamCare settingsPatient perspectiveCategorize themesIdentified themesImprove painClinical teamProvider voicesHealth AdministrationIncorporating patientEffectiveness trialWhat Makes for a Positive Patient Experience in Chronic Pain Care? A Qualitative Evaluation of Factors Affecting Veteran Patient Satisfaction Across Two Individualized Pain Care Interventions in VA Primary Care
Purcell N, DeRonne B, Salameh H, Krebs E, Seal K, Becker W, Hagedorn H. What Makes for a Positive Patient Experience in Chronic Pain Care? A Qualitative Evaluation of Factors Affecting Veteran Patient Satisfaction Across Two Individualized Pain Care Interventions in VA Primary Care. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 1-10. PMID: 40425935, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09630-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPositive patient experiencePain careCare interventionsPatient experienceCare coordinationVeterans Affairs (VA) healthcare systemPatient satisfactionMultimodal pain careChronic pain careVA primary carePain-related disabilitySelf-manage painPatient-clinician relationshipAffected patient satisfactionSemi-structured interviewsPatient involvementPrimary careCare teamCare accessOpioid-related deathsQualitative interview dataSelf-ManagementVeteran patientsHealthcare systemInfluence patientsReceipt of addiction treatment after nonfatal opioid overdose and risk of subsequent overdose: A retrospective cohort study
Howell B, Black A, Lin H, Liberatore M, Greene C, D'Onofrio G, Heimer R, Grau L, Hawk K, Fiellin D, Becker W. Receipt of addiction treatment after nonfatal opioid overdose and risk of subsequent overdose: A retrospective cohort study. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2025, 273: 112679. PMID: 40413965, PMCID: PMC12178112, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112679.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAddiction treatment modalitiesAddiction treatmentInpatient addiction treatmentOpioid overdose survivorsOverdose survivorsOpioid agonist treatmentOpioid overdoseReceipt of methadoneOpioid withdrawalInpatient treatmentBenzodiazepine exposureNon-medicalAddictionAssociated with reduced riskNonfatal opioid overdoseAgonist treatmentNon-fatal opioid overdoseTreatment modalitiesAssociated with increased riskBenzodiazepinesIndividual level dataMethadoneRetrospective cohort studyOpioidBuprenorphineIntegrating Implementation Outcomes into Effectiveness Studies: A Practical Guide for Clinical Interventionists
Wesolowicz D, Becker W, Alegria M, Chin-Purcell L, Glass J, Knudsen H, Dow P, Seal K, McGinty E. Integrating Implementation Outcomes into Effectiveness Studies: A Practical Guide for Clinical Interventionists. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 40: 2376-2382. PMID: 40301219, PMCID: PMC12344027, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09551-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricIntervention for hospitalized people with chronic pain and elevated risk for opioid‐related harm: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Weimer M, Buonora M, Hajduk A, Ackerman A, Daggula K, Becker W, Chaudhry S, Fiellin D. Intervention for hospitalized people with chronic pain and elevated risk for opioid‐related harm: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal Of Hospital Medicine 2025, 20: 1079-1086. PMID: 40271961, PMCID: PMC12354179, DOI: 10.1002/jhm.70066.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsOpioid-related harmsGuideline-concordant carePain interventionsCase identification toolElevated riskChronic painOpioid stewardshipHospitalized peopleEMR-based toolOpioid stewardship programsPain-related careRandomized Controlled TrialsUsual carePotential participantsCareManagement of analgesiaExploratory outcomesControlled TrialsPrimary outcomeHospitalized adultsInterventionHarmPainNo significant differenceRisk
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News
- May 28, 2025
Opioid Overdose Crisis: Medications Prevent Subsequent Overdoses
- May 27, 2025
Research Project Studies High Doses of an Opioid Use Disorder Medication Among Veterans
- 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
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General Internal Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mailstop 151B, 950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
United States
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PRIME Center of Innovation, Bldg 35A
Academic Office
VA Connecticut Healthcare
950 Campbell Avenue, Fl 1st Fl, Rm Rm #109
West Haven, CT 06516