Improving urine drug testing for people treated for opioid use disorder
Establishing an Evidence Base to Increase the Utility of Urine Drug Testing in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment.
['FUNDING_R01'] · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NIH-11322626
This project will look at how urine drug testing is used for people on medications for opioid use disorder to find testing practices that better support care.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11322626 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have opioid use disorder, researchers will analyze national insurance and laboratory records from 2015–2022 to see how often and what kinds of urine drug tests are done while people are on medications for OUD. They will compare testing patterns across different patients, clinicians, insurers, and states and link those patterns to steps in clinical care. The team will identify testing practices that vary in the real world and that could be changed by clinical guidelines or policy to improve care and use resources more wisely.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a diagnosed opioid use disorder who received medications for OUD and whose care appears in participating U.S. insurance and laboratory databases between 2015 and 2022.
Not a fit: People not treated with medications for OUD, those whose care occurs outside the included U.S. insurance or lab data, or people in non-U.S. health systems are unlikely to be included or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to clearer guidance that reduces unnecessary testing, focuses resources where they help most, and improves care for people receiving medications for OUD.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has described urine testing practices in smaller or single-system samples, but using a linked national multi-payer claims and laboratory dataset at this scale is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KENNEDY HENDRICKS, ALENE — JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: KENNEDY HENDRICKS, ALENE
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.