State laws and ED care to start opioid treatment sooner
Official title: Evaluating state policies to facilitate emergency department-based treatment initiation for opioid use disorder
Funded at University of Central Florida · NIH-11386496 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant aims to map and study how state ED policies affect starting opioid use disorder treatment like buprenorphine right after emergency visits, to help more patients get lifesaving care sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Central Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $771,494 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA060240-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386496 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with opioid use disorder who visit emergency departments for overdose or related care and are candidates for MOUD initiation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not seeking ED care for opioid-related issues or not considering MOUD would not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Opioid use disorder is a critical health issue, and starting treatment in the emergency department could save lives. The project will build a public database of state ED MOUD laws and use national data to track how often MOUD is started and kept up after ED visits for overdose. By examining how laws influence practice, the study seeks to identify which policies help patients begin and stay on treatment. The findings could guide lawmakers and hospitals in refining ED policies to improve access to MOUD and reduce overdose deaths.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could make it easier for EDs to initiate MOUD and keep patients in treatment, potentially reducing overdoses and deaths.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests state laws can influence MOUD initiation, but this project creates a comprehensive, longitudinal database and nationwide insights that are still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Andraka-Christou, Barbara — University of Central Florida
- Study coordinator: Andraka-Christou, Barbara
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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.