ED-based Screening and Brief Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Disorder
Official title: ED-SMART: Emergency Department-Substance use screening, Motivational interviewing and Active Referral Targeting substance use disorder and overdose prevention
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11422014 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Purdue-led project will test if ED-based screening plus a brief in-person motivational talk and follow-up telehealth coaching can reduce risky substance use and prevent future disorder in diverse adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2025 |
| Project end | September 29, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $699,291 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CE003825-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422014 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with at-risk substance use who visit participating emergency departments and consent to participate.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without at-risk substance use or who do not consent may not benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
If you visit an emergency department and are using substances at risky levels, this study tests a short ED-driven motivational chat plus a referral to ongoing telehealth sessions to help prevent developing a substance use disorder. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the ED MI plus five monthly telehealth sessions or a control group receiving standard information about substance use. Researchers will compare outcomes over time to see if this approach lowers risky use and improves health. The project is conducted at Purdue University and engages diverse ED patients to see if a scalable intervention can help prevent overdose and related harms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could become a practical, scalable way to prevent substance use disorders and overdoses starting from emergency department visits.
How similar studies have gone: Prior evidence supports brief interventions in EDs; this study adds a telehealth follow-up to strengthen effects.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brown, Jennifer L — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Brown, Jennifer L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Co-treated care for substance use and heart infection at UVMMC
A hospital-based project aims to improve how doctors and teams treat people with both substance use disorder and infective endocarditis during their hospital stay.
-
Genetics study of methamphetamine use disorder in Thai people
A genetics study in Thailand is looking at how genes may influence methamphetamine use disorder and related behaviors.
-
PROTECT-ED: Rapid care connects people just released from jail to HIV and overdose prevention
A program in the emergency department helps people who just left jail get started on medications for opioid use disorder and HIV prevention right away and connect them to ongoing care.
-
Justice Core: Helping pregnant women with substance use get treatment while in jail
A pragmatic trial will test whether a jail diversion program (Justice Core) improves access to treatment and perinatal outcomes for pregnant women with substance use issues compared to usual referral after jail release.
-
Adapting with Proactive SUD Intervention via Disease Intervention Specialists
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.
-
Connecting Primary Care to SUD Treatment with Telehealth Collaborative Care
A Mayo Clinic study tests a telehealth-based collaborative care platform to help primary care clinics identify and treat substance use disorders in rural adults.
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.