Access to treatment and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is essential for reducing HIV and HCV transmissions. However, the spatial distribution of the resources for treatment and medication is a result of various social factors, which can include potential inequities.
To demonstrate the utility of a spatial perspective in evaluating access to MOUD resources, The University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory will use a simulation approach to evaluate how treatment and intervention locations affect HIV and HCV transmissions. This study will also evaluate interventions using scenarios of varying levels of spatial inequity in HepCEP, a validated agent-based model (ABM) for Hepatitis C Elimination in Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWID). Outcomes from this study may provide insight into the complex factors that drive MOUD treatment heterogeneity within communities using more spatialized approaches for evaluation of efficacy.
Study Team
PI/MPI:
Jonathan Ozik, PhD
Argonne National Laboratory
Marynia Kolak, MS, MFA, PhD
The University of Chicago

• Assess the utility of a spatial perspective in evaluating access to MOUD resources
• Examine how shifts in MOUD locations impact upstream health outcomes for persons who inject drugs
Modeling Project