Reducing perceived barriers to scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution and medications for opioid use disorder in the United States in the HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term®) Communities study

Sylvia Margaret Tan; LaShawn Marie Glasgow; Richard Craig Lefebvre; Bryan Richard Garner; Nicole Antoinette Mack; Emmanuel Aja Oga; Joella Wabine Irene Adams; Beth Sydney Linas; Mia-Cara Christopher; JaNae Logan Holloway; Hannah K. Knudsen; Daniel M. Walker; Nicole Antoinette Mack; Elizabeth N Kinnard; Timothy R. Huerta; LaShawn Marie Glasgow; Louisa Gilbert; Bryan Richard Garner; Anindita Dasgupta; Redonna Chandler; Sharon L. Walsh; Yjuliana Tin; Sylvia Margaret Tan; Joel G Sprunger; Linda Sprague Martinez; Pamela J. Salsberry; Merielle Saucier; Maria Rudorf; Sandra Rodriguez; Carrie B. Oser; Emmanuel Aja Oga; Julie Nakayima; Beth Linas; Richard Craig Lefebvre; Sarah Kosakowski; Rachel E Katz; Timothy Hunt; Ari Holman; JaNae Logan Holloway; Dawn Goddard-eckrich; Naleef Fareed; Mia-Cara Christopher; Alison M. Aldrich; Joella Wabine Irene Adams; Mari-lynn Drainoni

Reducing perceived barriers to scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution and medications for opioid use disorder in the United States in the HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term®) Communities study

Knudsen, H. K., Walker, D. M., Mack, N., Kinnard, E. N., Huerta, T. R., Glasgow, L., Gilbert, L., Garner, B. R., Dasgupta, A., Chandler, R., Walsh, S. L., Tin, Y., Tan, S., Sprunger, J., Sprague-Martinez, L., Salsberry, P., Saucier, M., Rudorf, M., Rodriguez, S., ... Drainoni, M.-L. (2024). Reducing perceived barriers to scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution and medications for opioid use disorder in the United States in the HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term®) Communities study. Preventive Medicine, 185, Article 108034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108034

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Abstract

Background: Scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is needed to reduce opioid overdose deaths, but barriers are pervasive. This study examines whether the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention reduced perceived barriers to expanding OEND and MOUD in healthcare/behavioral health, criminal-legal, and other/non-traditional venues. Methods: The HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term (R)) Communities Study is a parallel, wait-list, cluster randomized trial testing the CTH intervention in 67 communities in the United States. Surveys administered to coalition members and key stakeholders measured the magnitude of perceived barriers to scaling up OEND and MOUD in November 2019 -January 2020, May -June 2021, and May -June 2022. Multilevel linear mixed models compared Wave 1 (intervention) and Wave 2 (wait-list control) respondents. Interactions by rural/urban status and research site were tested. Results: Wave 1 respondents reported significantly greater reductions in mean scores for three outcomes: perceived barriers to scaling up OEND in Healthcare/Behavioral Health Venues (-0.26, 95% confidence interval, CI:-0.48,-0.05, p = 0.015), OEND in Other/Non-traditional Venues (-0.53, 95% CI:- 0.84,-0.22, p = 0.001) and MOUD in Other/Non-traditional Venues (-0.34, 95% CI:-0.62,-0.05, p = 0.020). There were significant interactions by research site for perceived barriers to scaling up OEND and MOUD in Criminal-Legal Venues. There were no significant interactions by rural/urban status. Discussion: The CTH Intervention reduced perceived barriers to scaling up OEND and MOUD in certain venues, with no difference in effectiveness between rural and urban communities. More research is needed to understand facilitators and barriers in different venues.