UnityPhilly: a phone app that connects nearby volunteers with naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses
UnityPhilly Response App for Overdose Reversal: Assessing Citywide Effectiveness and Sustainability
This project uses a smartphone app to alert nearby trained volunteers carrying naloxone so they can quickly help people having an opioid overdose in Philadelphia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Drexel University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162260 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you live in Philadelphia, this project offers a phone app that links people who carry naloxone with bystanders and people overdosing. The team will enroll about 450 people who carry naloxone and use the UnityPhilly app, and they will track response times, how often volunteers arrive, and whether overdoses are reversed. Researchers will also study which groups adopt and keep using the app and how sustainable the volunteer network is across different neighborhoods. Results will guide a possible citywide rollout to improve rapid community response to overdoses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are Philadelphia-area adults who spend time in the city, own a smartphone, are willing to carry naloxone, and can respond to nearby overdose alerts.
Not a fit: People who do not live or spend time in Philadelphia, lack a smartphone, or are unwilling or unable to carry naloxone are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could lower overdose deaths by getting naloxone to people faster and expanding community-led emergency responses.
How similar studies have performed: A prior feasibility study (R34) provided clear evidence of overdose reversals using UnityPhilly, but this project is a larger citywide test of effectiveness and sustainability.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Drexel University — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lankenau, Stephen E — Drexel University
- Study coordinator: Lankenau, Stephen E
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.