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The Authors’ Own Words: Development and evaluation of a standardized research definition for opioid overdose outcomes

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The Authors’ Own Words:  

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work. 

Development and evaluation of a standardized research definition for opioid overdose outcomes

Ingrid A. Binswanger, MD, MPH, MS; Komal J. Narwaney, PhD; Edward M. Gardner, MD; Barbara A. Gabella, MSPH; Susan L. Calcaterra, MD, MPH; Jason M. Glanz, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“There is little consensus on how to verify opioid overdose outcomes for research purposes. To ensure reproducibility, minimize misclassification, and permit data harmonization across studies, standardized and consistent overdose definitions are needed. Thus, Binswanger and colleagues developed and evaluated a case criteria classification scheme for pharmaceutical opioid and heroin overdoses in two distinct health systems, using information commonly available in electronic health records. This scheme was compared with clinician impression and encounter documentation. This novel case criteria classification scheme for opioid overdose represents a potential option for a consistent and reproducible definition of overdose in multi-site research.“

The Authors’ Own Words: Factors Associated with Contingency Management Adoption among Opioid Treatment Providers Receiving a Comprehensive Implementation Strategy

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The Authors’ Own Words:  

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Factors Associated with Contingency Management Adoption among Opioid Treatment Providers Receiving a Comprehensive Implementation Strategy

Sara J. Becker, PhD; Lourah M. Kelly, MA; Augustine W. Kang, MSc; Katherine I. Escobar, BA; Daniel D. Squires, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“Opioid-use disorder (OUD)-related overdoses and deaths have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, creating an urgent need to implement effective OUD treatments in community settings. The current study examined factors associated with successful implementation of an evidence-based behavioral treatment (contingency management) among OUD treatment providers who received a comprehensive implementation strategy called the Science to Service Laboratory. Providers who were younger, Non-Hispanic White, did not have specialty addiction licensure, and who perceived fewer patient-level barriers to adoption all had lower levels of CM adoption frequency. Findings have the potential to change practice by highlighting a need to refine implementation strategies for younger, more educated, and more diverse treatment providers, as well as a need to explicitly address patient-level barriers to implementation.“

The Authors’ Own Words: Amount of naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses outside of medical practice in a city with increasing illicitly manufactured fentanyl in illicit drug supply

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The Authors’ Own Words:  

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work. 

Amount of naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses outside of medical practice in a city with increasing illicitly manufactured fentanyl in illicit drug supply

Alice Bell, LCSW; Alex S. Bennett, PhD; T. Stephen Jones, MD; Maya Doe-Simkins, MPH; Leslie D. Williams, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“Even though illicitly manufactured fentanyls (IMF) is more potent than heroin and is a rapidly increasing contributor to drug overdose deaths in Allegheny County, the average dose of naloxone administered has not changed. Our findings are noteworthy because they differ from studies in different areas (MA, for example) also experiencing increasing IMF role in overdose deaths. What’s more, (uncorroborated) media reports about extreme potency of IMF and risks of workplace exposure abound and contribute an element of panic to the topic of opioid overdose and IMF. Our findings have two implications for practice: 1) reassurance that community overdose prevention programs’ naloxone rescue kits are effective in the context of IMF and 2) confirmation that additional investigations are needed to clarify the amount of naloxone necessary in IMF-involved overdoses.“

The Authors’ Own Words: Motivational Interviewing Training of Substance Use Treatment Professionals: A Systematic Review

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The Authors’ Own Words:  

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work. 

Motivational Interviewing Training of Substance Use Treatment Professionals: A Systematic Review

Michael B. Madson, PhD; Margo C. Villarosa-Hurlocker, PhD; Julie A. Schumacher, PhD; Daniel C. Williams , PhD; Jami M. Gauthier , PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“We believe our paper will advance the dissemination of motivational interviewing among substance use treatment professionals by synthesizing the current state of the state of the training research. Specifically our paper has implications for designing, evaluating and reporting of MI training projects. Thus, the paper advances the best practices for MI training. Eventually by establishing best MI training practices, we can enhance MI implementation and practices in substance use treatment.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Use of non-face-to-face modalities for emergency department screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (ED-SBIRT) for high-risk alcohol use: a scoping review

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The Authors’ Own Words:  

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work. 

Use of non-face-to-face modalities for emergency department screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (ED-SBIRT) for high-risk alcohol use: a scoping review

Brian J. Biroscak, PhD, MS, MA; Michael V. Pantalon, PhD; James D. Dziura, PhD, MPH; Denise P. Hersey, MLS, MA; Federico E. Vaca, MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“To our knowledge, this review represents the first catalogue of the scope of strategies and outcomes in ED-SBIRT studies that employed non-face-to-face modalities for high-risk alcohol use. This review reveals that there is an opportunity for substance use disorder researchers to explore ED-SBIRT for high-risk alcohol use among older patients as well as for the specific needs of female ED patients. Also, there is an opportunity for additional investigation into ED-SBIRT for high-risk alcohol use among non-English-speaking patients—a line of research particularly well-suited for non-face-to-face modalities such as tablet-based screening and brief intervention in a patient’s native language. The recommendations contained within this scoping review can be the start of an agenda for improving the conduct and reporting of ED-SBIRT research that employs non-face-to-face modalities.”