Helping people stay on buprenorphine after emergency-room starts
A multi-team system implementation strategy to improve buprenorphine adherence for patients who initiate treatment in the emergency department
This project uses a team-based approach to help people who begin buprenorphine in the emergency department stay connected to ongoing addiction care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11358194 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you start buprenorphine in the emergency department, this work aims to improve the handoff between the ED and ongoing treatment teams so you are more likely to keep taking medication. The team will refine a multiteam coordination strategy that promotes ongoing partnerships rather than one-time referrals between ED and primary care. The approach builds on California’s CA Bridge program that offers same-day buprenorphine in many hospitals and focuses on improving care for low-income and at-risk patients. The goal is to increase both initiation and longer-term retention on buprenorphine after an ED visit.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with opioid use disorder who start or restart buprenorphine in an emergency department, especially patients served by California hospitals in the CA Bridge program.
Not a fit: People who do not start buprenorphine in the ED or who receive care outside participating hospitals are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more people who start buprenorphine in the ED stay on treatment longer and reduce the risk of overdose.
How similar studies have performed: Previous trials have shown ED-initiated buprenorphine increases treatment starts but often fail to sustain treatment past two months, so this project builds on that evidence to improve ongoing coordination.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henry, Stephen G — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Henry, Stephen G
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 below.