AI-assisted tool to help doctors treat opioid use disorder with depression and anxiety
Official title: Personalized Reinforcement Learning-Based Integrated Mental Health Enhancement for Opioid Use Disorder Patients (PRIME-OUD)
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11364317 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI-powered decision support tool is being developed to help primary care doctors better treat people with opioid use disorder who also have depression or anxiety.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $713,597 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DA063606-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364317 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with opioid use disorder and co-occurring depression and/or anxiety who are treated in primary care or general medical settings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without OUD or without co-occurring mental health conditions may not benefit from this tool.
What this research studies
This project aims to create an AI-enabled clinical decision support system that assists primary care providers in managing patients with opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. It will build on machine learning methods and clinical data to guide treatment choices in real time. The goal is to improve access to effective mental health support and MOUD, reduce dropouts, and lower adverse outcomes for this high-need population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help PCPs provide more effective, timely care for patients with OUD and co-occurring depression/anxiety, potentially reducing relapses and improving survival and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous AI-assisted CDS efforts show promise in improving guideline-concordant care, but this project applies AI to the specific combination of OUD with depression/anxiety in PCP settings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lo-Ciganic, Wei-Hsuan Jenny — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Lo-Ciganic, Wei-Hsuan Jenny
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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.