Safer, more supportive ambulance response after overdoses in King County
Assessing the Impact of Emergency Medical Services System Changes to Overdose Response: The ORCID Study
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · NIH-11367865
This project offers EMS training, naloxone leave-behinds, fentanyl test strips, and warm hand-offs to help people who survive overdoses get better care and treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SEATTLE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11367865 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You may see King County ambulance crews trained in trauma-informed care and in ways to reduce negative perceptions of people who use drugs. EMS-OPP also gives naloxone to leave behind with survivors, supplies fentanyl test strips, and connects people directly to follow-up teams for substance use treatment such as buprenorphine. The team co-designed these changes with people who use drugs and community partners and plans to roll them out across King County with high EMS participation. Researchers use surveys, interviews, and population-level outcome tracking to compare survivor experiences and treatment linkages before and after the changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People in King County who recently survived an overdose or had EMS contact and are willing to accept naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or a warm hand-off to follow-up care.
Not a fit: People living outside King County, those who never interact with EMS after an overdose, or those who decline offered services are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more overdose survivors may survive, have better experiences with EMS, and be linked to life-saving treatment like buprenorphine.
How similar studies have performed: Naloxone leave-behind programs and warm hand-offs have shown promise in prior work, but combining them with EMS stigma training and routine fentanyl testing is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
SEATTLE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON — SEATTLE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: VAN DRAANEN, JENNA — UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- Study coordinator: VAN DRAANEN, JENNA
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.