Improving care for unhealthy substance use in primary care settings
Official title: Supporting Unhealthy Substance use care Through a whole person Approach and user centered INtegration into primary care (SUSTAIN)
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-10931543 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about improving care for people dealing with unhealthy substance use by working together with doctors and those who have faced these challenges to create a supportive program that looks at the whole person—mind, body, and social life—so it can be tested in real-life doctor’s offices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | September 29, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $617,686 |
| NIH project number | 5R18HS029773-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10931543 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults who engage in unhealthy substance use, including those with varying levels of substance use disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not engage in any form of unhealthy substance use are unlikely to benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to enhance the care provided to individuals struggling with unhealthy substance use by integrating a comprehensive, whole-person approach into primary care. It involves collaborating with primary care practices and individuals who have experienced unhealthy substance use to co-design an intervention that addresses the biological, psychological, and social factors contributing to substance use. The project will test the implementation of this intervention in real-world primary care settings, ensuring that it is user-centered and contextually relevant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved health outcomes and reduced morbidity for patients dealing with unhealthy substance use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that integrated care approaches can significantly improve outcomes for patients with substance use issues, suggesting that this method has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tong, Sebastian — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Tong, Sebastian
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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Clinic tools to help families prevent teen substance use
This project will build clinic-based prompts and referral supports to help pediatric teams link pre-teens and their families with family-focused programs that lower the risk of teen substance use.
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Telehealth help connecting primary care to substance use treatment
This project uses a telehealth collaborative care app to help rural primary care patients get faster, coordinated treatment for substance use problems.
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Improving Access to App-Based Treatments for Substance Use in Primary Care
This project helps more people with substance use disorders in primary care get access to helpful digital treatments, especially those who face challenges in getting care.
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Improving care transitions for hospitalized patients with substance use disorders
This study is all about helping people with substance use disorders smoothly move from the hospital to their regular doctor, making sure they get the ongoing care they need after leaving the hospital.
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Improving access to substance use disorder treatment through telehealth in primary care.
This study is looking to make it easier for people in rural areas to get help for substance use issues by using a new telehealth platform that connects them with care right from their primary care doctors.
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.