How programs reach and help people who inject or smoke drugs
Assessing the Reach, Effectiveness, and Implementation of Multiple Interventions
This project compares existing and new services to find what best helps people who inject or smoke drugs avoid overdoses, infections, and addiction harms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Triangle Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Research Triangle Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11364671 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will follow how people who inject or smoke drugs get linked to services like harm reduction, addiction care, and infection treatment over time. They will measure outcomes such as changes in drug use, overdoses, HIV and bacterial infections, and whether services are adopted and kept running in real-world settings. The team will use program records, health data, and surveys to compare different interventions and how they work together. The RE-AIM framework (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) will guide how findings are reported and used to improve services.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who currently inject or smoke illicit drugs (for example heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, or cocaine) and who live in communities served by the project's programs.
Not a fit: People who do not use illicit drugs, who only use drugs by routes other than injection or smoking, or who live outside the study areas are unlikely to be helped directly by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better-coordinated services that lower overdoses and infections and improve access to addiction care.
How similar studies have performed: Individual harm-reduction and addiction-treatment programs have reduced overdoses and infections in past studies, but combining and implementing multiple services together in real-world settings is less well tested.
Where this research is happening
Research Triangle Park, United States
- Research Triangle Institute — Research Triangle Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kral, Alexander H — Research Triangle Institute
- Study coordinator: Kral, Alexander H
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.