Adapting with Proactive SUD Intervention via Disease Intervention Specialists
Official title: Adapting the Public Health Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) Model for Proactive Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Intervention
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11422103 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new program uses a proven outreach model to identify and connect people with substance use disorder to care earlier, by applying DIS tactics to SUD in communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2025 |
| Project end | September 29, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $693,268 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CE003823-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422103 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals at risk for or living with substance use disorder who are connected to health departments or ID-related services and may be reachable through social networks.
✕Less likely to help
If there is no engagement with health department outreach or if individuals are not connected to the services being piloted, benefits may be limited.
What this research studies
This project plans to adapt the disease intervention specialist approach used for infectious diseases to substance use disorder, aiming to find individuals earlier and link them to treatment. Teams will develop three service models in partnership with health departments to screen for SUD among those already being identified for other ID concerns and to leverage social networks for rapid referral. The effort involves implementing these models, testing their feasibility, and rigorously evaluating outcomes to improve early detection and treatment linkage for SUD. If successful, this could shorten delays in getting people into care and reduce transmission-related harms within communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could shorten the time from SUD exposure or diagnosis to treatment, improving health outcomes and reducing community impact.
How similar studies have gone: Adapting proven DIS approaches to SUD is innovative; prior DIS work has shown success in rapid outreach for infectious diseases, and this project extends that model to SUD.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Punches, Brittany E — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Punches, Brittany E
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.