Stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial of a novel opioid court to improve identification of need and linkage to medications for opioid use disorder treatment for court-involved adults

This study will use a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge type-2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation design to test the impact of a new implementation intervention (Opioid Court REACH; Research on Evidence-Based Approaches to Court Health) in improving opioid cascade of care, public health, and public safety outcomes. This intervention would allow the new opioid intervention court model in New York…

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Massachusetts Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (MassJCOIN)

The goal of this study is to conduct a Type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study of seven jails in Massachusetts that deliver all FDA-approved MOUDs (naltrexone, buprenorphine, methadone) to produce findings with implications for policies for OUD in criminal justice settings. This research will focus on (1) post-release recidivism, overdoses, and MOUD initiation, engagement, and retention,…

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Kentucky Women’s Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN): A type 1 effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial to increase utilization of medications for opioid use disorder among justice-involved women

This trial will examine the implementation of an innovative pretreatment model for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) using telehealth and/or peer navigators for women transitioning from jail to the community in Kentucky. This project aims to reduce opioid relapse and overdose among high-risk women during community reentry through increasing initiation and maintenance of MOUD.

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A clinical protocol of a comparative effectiveness trial of extended-release naltrexone versus extended-release buprenorphine with individuals leaving jail

This proposed randomized control trial will test the pharmacotherapy adherence (number of monthly injections received) of extended-release buprenorphine (XR-B) versus extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) among adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are nearing release from county jails in Maryland. The results of this trial will have substantial public health implications as most individuals with OUD…

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Improving retention across the OUD service cascade upon reentry from jail using Recovery Management Checkups-Adaptive (RMC-A) experiment

This study will test an adapted version of Recovery Management Checkups (RMC), which provide treatment linkage, retention support, and re-linkage, among released incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), to determine if this type of ongoing support improves the effectiveness of treatment engagement and recovery compared to the original RMC intervention.

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Optimizing the impact of medications for opioid use disorder at release from prison and jail settings: A microsimulation modeling study

This study used a microsimulation model to analyze the potential differences in rates of post-release opioid-related overdoses in Rhode Island resulting from three specific interventions: extended-release (XR) naltrexone only, access to all three medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) (methadone, buprenorphine, XR-naltrexone), and standard of care (limited access to MOUD). Based on this model, over…

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Estimating the impact of wide scale uptake of screening and medications for opioid use disorder in US prisons and jails

This study used a predictive model to examine the potential impact of screening and treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) within prisons and jails on opioid-related mortality after release. The model results indicate that widespread uptake of screening and treatment both within prisons and jails and post-release would substantially reduce opioid-related deaths by thousands.

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Feasibility of a citizen-driven hackathon to increase public engagement and solutions to address the opioid crisis

A relatively new technology-based approach to improve health outcomes is the use of hackathons, multidisciplinary team-based competitions used to develop a solution to a challenge within a short period. Implementing a 24-hour hackathon for solving problems related to the opioid epidemic involving individuals from public health, law enforcement, research, and data science, was found to…

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Clinical Care, Research, and Telehealth Services in the Era of Social Distancing to Mitigate COVID-19

This publication describes considerations for the integration of technologies that have become prevalent due to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., telemedicine, social media, apps, chatbots, biosensors) and extensions of those technologies into HIV care and research. Although it is not clear how these technologies will change post-pandemic, the most effective systems should combine these technologies due…

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