This project represents a research collaboration through a no cost contract between the Congressional Budget Office and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under the Foundation’s Health Data for Action program, managed by AcademyHealth.
The goal of this study is to inform patients, their caregivers, and their providers about the opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments that may be best suited for them. The results will also inform payers and policymakers about the resource use and potential outcomes of different courses of treatment for patients with OUD. Over 2.1 million Americans have OUD, and providing treatment to patients with OUD is necessary for the opioid crisis to be addressed. Yet, only 26 percent of people with OUD receive any alcohol or drug use treatment. Information on the optimal pairing of patients with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) drugs, combing pharmacotherapy with psychosocial therapy, and the length of time patients should be in treatment is needed. Using OptumLabs data from 2010-2017 linked at the county level to the Area Health Resources File (AHRF), the researchers will identify index opportunities for treatment (e.g. emergency department or outpatient treatment encounter). They will categorize the patient as having 1) received no treatment, 2) received pharmacotherapy only, 2) received psychosocial treatment only, 3) received pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatment combined for a limited duration (less than 6 weeks), 4) received pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatment combined for a period of modest duration (6 weeks to 12 months), and 5) received pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatment combined for a period of extended duration (12 months or longer). Using multinomial logistic regression, the researchers will examine patient-demographic and patient clinical factors associated with these treatment categorizations. They will then use logistic regression to examine the association of the treatment categorizations with patient outcomes of interest (e.g. subsequent inpatient, emergency department, and/or detoxification encounters with an OUD diagnosis, and opioid analgesic prescription fills). Deliverables will include a project work plan and final narrative report. The researchers will also produce paper(s) suitable for publication and present findings at national research meetings and to other stakeholder audiences as appropriate, including policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels and other key stakeholders, as part of the deliverables for this collaboration.
Ryan Mutter, Ph.D. is a principal analyst in the Health, Retirement, and Long-Term Analysis Division (HRLD) of... Read Bio
Grant: #76777
Contract Institution: Congressional Budget Office
Contract Period: 12/15/19 - 12/14/2020
Factors Associated with Initial Treatment Choice, Engagement, and Discontinuation for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder
Psychiatric Services | October 2021