"Barriers Impacting the POINT Pragmatic Trial: The Unavoidable Overlap Between Research and Intervention Procedures in 'Real-World' Research"

Many interventions that are effective in an experimental setting do not take root in the real environment. Study authors used an implementation science approach to examine such barriers within an Indiana emergency department (ED)-based peer recovery coaching (PRC) intervention that linked opioid use disorder (OUD) patients with evidence-based medications and other supports. 

 

One barrier was that patients often do not have access to resources they need after discharge, such as a local buprenorphine prescriber. Within the ED, there was a lack of buprenorphine bridging, which has been shown to prevent withdrawal while patients get linked to longer-term medication-assisted treatment. Another barrier was the lack of community supports, which posed a challenge for PRCs to connect patients to the services they need.   

 

IRIS is working on similar projects with the Mosaic Group, focused on understanding a Maryland-based peer intervention used in multiple EDs. We seek to identify barriers and facilitators in implementing PRC services in EDs to improve outcomes and then apply learnings to other settings to facilitate the recovery of individuals with OUD.