Patient navigation to connect people with opioid use disorder to care after hospital discharge
Implementing a patient navigation intervention across a health system to improve outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder
This program pairs hospitalized people with opioid use disorder with a patient navigator who helps them start and stay on opioid agonist treatment after leaving the hospital.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Friends Research Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11360494 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are hospitalized with opioid use disorder, the program pairs you with a patient navigator who helps arrange opioid agonist treatment (like buprenorphine), follow-up appointments, transportation, and other supports after discharge. The research team is scaling a proven program called NavSTAR across hospitals using an Implementation Facilitation approach that offers training, data-sharing, and resources to local staff. They will follow patients after discharge to see whether more people begin and continue treatment, have fewer hospital readmissions, and whether the program can be sustained across sites. This work builds on a prior randomized trial of 400 people that showed NavSTAR improved treatment entry and reduced readmissions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults hospitalized with opioid use disorder who are not currently engaged in opioid agonist treatment and are willing to be linked to post-discharge care are the primary candidates.
Not a fit: People already stably engaged in outpatient opioid agonist treatment or those not admitted to a participating hospital or unwilling to work with a navigator may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more people with OUD could start and stay on lifesaving medication and experience fewer hospital readmissions.
How similar studies have performed: A prior single-site randomized trial of NavSTAR with 400 participants showed improved entry to treatment and reduced readmissions, but multi-site implementation is new.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Friends Research Institute, INC. — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alexander, Karen — Friends Research Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Alexander, Karen
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.