Ancillary Study of the Adoption and Sustainability of ED-Initiated Buprenorphine (NIH Heal Initiative)

Funded by the NIH HEAL Initiative^®

For many reasons, the Emergency Department (ED) is a critical venue to initiate opioid use disorder (OUD) interventions. ED patients have a disproportionately high prevalence of substance use disorders and are at an elevated risk of overdose, and many do not access healthcare elsewhere. Despite this, OUD interventions are rarely initiated in EDs. The Emergency Department Connection to Care with Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder study (CTN-0079) will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of introducing clinical protocols for screening for OUD, buprenorphine treatment initiation, and referral for ongoing treatment in ED settings with high need, limited resources, and different staffing structures. This extension study will use the existing infrastructure to evaluate the adoption and sustainability of the clinical protocols introduced in the study sites and to identify factors influencing their diffusion and effectiveness.