Initiating Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Hospitalized Opioid Use Disorder Patients. (ISTOP)

The purpose of this 24-week study is to evaluate the impact of recovery coach intervention on rates of treatment retention, illicit opioid use, and readmission among hospitalized patients newly initiated on buprenorphine or methadone compared to the control intervention.

Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) frequently utilize hospitals due to soft tissue infections and other conditions that require inpatient level of care. Prior studies have indicated that OUD patients are often amenable to initiating buprenorphine treatment and can be successfully linked to outpatient treatment. However, hospitalized OUD patients initiated on buprenorphine have much lower treatment retention rates at 6-months compared to OUD patients initiating treatment in the outpatient setting. As such, there is a great need to identify strategies to improve treatment retention in this patient population. There is a growing body of evidence for the benefits of recovery coaches, who provide peer-delivered support services in the community. Tracing their origin to mutual support groups to supplement traditional clinical services, recovery coaches are individuals with lived experience of recovery. Studies of recovery coaches have demonstrated greater treatment retention, reduced substance use, and reduced inpatient utilization. However, no prior studies have examined the impact of recovery coaches in improving medication-assisted treatment retention. As such, the aim of this 24-week study is to evaluate the impact of recovery coach intervention on rates of treatment retention, illicit opioid use, and readmission among hospitalized patients newly initiated on buprenorphine or methadone compared to the control intervention. Patients who are successfully initiated on buprenorphine or methadone, and are willing to engage in treatment after discharge, will be eligible to enroll. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks.

Subjects randomized to the experimental arm will be assigned to a recovery coach.In addition to being linked to a community buprenorphine or methadone treatment program, the recovery coach will work to meet weekly with the subject following discharge from the hospital to provide support.

Subjects randomized to the control arm will receive treatment as usual. This means subjects are linked to ongoing outpatient treatment with buprenorphine or methadone.

The recovery coach will support the subjects in the following areas: 1) monitor and manage symptoms, 2) patient education and self-management, and 3) enlisting community and social supports. Encouragement to continue treatment will be a primary focus of the recovery coach. In addition, the coach will conduct weekly sessions on various topics and offer personal insights and facilitate a discussion.

Inclusion Criteria: English speaking, adults aged 18-75 DSM-5 opioid use disorder, severe, actively using illicit opioids until the time of hospitalization Have a working telephone Can identify at least 2 individuals who can act as points of contact following discharge from the hospital Willing to engage in treatment (either a psychosocial treatment program AND/OR medication treatment with methadone or buprenorphine) Exclusion Criteria: Liver function test >3x upper normal limit Pregnant Psychotic disorder, active suicidality or homicidality Condition likely to be terminal in 24 weeks such as cancer Unable to perform consent due to mental status Engaged in substance abuse treatment in the last month prior to admission

Friedmann PD, Suzuki J. More beds are not the answer: transforming detoxification units into medication induction centers to address the opioid epidemic. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2017 Nov 15;12(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s13722-017-0092-y. No abstract available.