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Lambdin BH, Bluthenthal RN, Garner BR, Wenger LD, Browne EN, Morris T, Ongais L, Megerian CE, Kral AH. Organize and mobilize for implementation effectiveness to improve overdose education and naloxone distribution from syringe services programs: a randomized controlled trial. Implement Sci 2024; 19:22. [PMID: 38419058 PMCID: PMC10900734 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-024-01354-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The United States (US) continues to face decades-long increases in opioid overdose fatalities. As an opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone can dramatically reduce opioid overdose mortality rates when distributed to people likely to experience or witness an opioid overdose and packaged with education on its use, known as overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND). Syringe services programs (SSPs) are ideal venues for OEND with staff who are culturally competent in providing services for people who are at risk of experiencing or observing an opioid overdose. We carried out a randomized controlled trial of SSPs to understand the effectiveness of the organize and mobilize for implementation effectiveness (OMIE) approach at improving OEND implementation effectiveness within SSPs. METHODS Using simple randomization, 105 SSPs were enrolled into the trial and assigned to one of two study arms - (1) dissemination of OEND best practice recommendations (Control SSPs) or the OMIE approach along with dissemination of the OEND best practice recommendations (i.e., OMIE SSPs). OMIE SSPs could participate in 60-min OMIE sessions once a month for up to 12 months. At 12-month post-baseline, 102 of 105 SSPs (97%) responded to the follow-up survey. RESULTS The median number of sessions completed by OMIE SSPs was 10. Comparing OMIE SSPs to control SSPs, we observed significant increases in the number of participants receiving naloxone (incidence rate ratio: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.42, 3.25; p < 0.01) and the rate of naloxone doses distributed per SSP participant (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.30; p = 0.01). We observed no statistically significant difference in the number of adopted best practices between conditions (difference in means 0.2, 95% CI: - 0.7, 1.0; p = 0.68). We also observed a threshold effect where SSPs receiving a higher OMIE dose had greater effect sizes with regard to the number of people given naloxone and the number of naloxone doses distributed. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the multifaceted OMIE approach was effective at increasing naloxone distribution from SSPs, despite substantial external shocks during the trial. These findings have major implications for addressing the overdose crisis, which has continued unabated for decades. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03924505 . Registered 19 April 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barrot H Lambdin
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Avenue, 8Th Floor, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Ricky N Bluthenthal
- Keck Medicine, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Bryan R Garner
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, 370 W. 9Th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Lynn D Wenger
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Avenue, 8Th Floor, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Erica N Browne
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Avenue, 8Th Floor, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Terry Morris
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Avenue, 8Th Floor, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Lee Ongais
- San Francisco AIDS Foundation, 1035 Market Street, 4Th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA
| | - Cariné E Megerian
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Avenue, 8Th Floor, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Alex H Kral
- RTI International, 2150 Shattuck Avenue, 8Th Floor, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
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Wenger LD, Doe-Simkins M, Wheeler E, Ongais L, Morris T, Bluthenthal RN, Kral AH, Lambdin BH. Best practices for community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution programs: results from using the Delphi approach. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:55. [PMID: 35643444 PMCID: PMC9145109 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00639-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Opioid-related overdose deaths have surged in the USA over the last two decades. Overdose fatalities are preventable with the timely administration of naloxone. Syringe service programs (SSP) have pioneered community-based naloxone distribution through overdose prevention and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs. There is a dearth of information with regards to best practices for community-based OEND. Methods We utilized a modified Delphi approach to develop a set of best practices for OEND delivery. Starting with an initial list of best practices, we engaged 27 experts, in the field of OEND programming who reviewed, made recommendations for changes, and assigned a priority to each best practice. Results Two rounds of input resulted in a final list of 20 best practices organized into four categories. The mean priority scores ranged from 1.17 to 2.17 (range 1 to 3). The top 5 ranked best practices were ensuring that SSP participants have low barrier, consistent, needs-based access to naloxone and that there is ample naloxone available within communities. While the remaining fifteen best practices were deemed important, they had more to do with organizational culture and implementation climate. Conclusions Increasing community-based OEND delivery is essential to reduce opioid overdose deaths; however, it will be insufficient to add programs without an eye toward quality of implementation and fidelity to the model upon which the evidence is based. This list of best practices summarizes the consensus among OEND experts and can serve as a tool for SSPs providing OEND programming to improve services.
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Wenger LD, Kral AH, Bluthenthal RN, Morris T, Ongais L, Lambdin BH. Ingenuity and resiliency of syringe service programs on the front lines of the opioid overdose and COVID-19 crises. Transl Res 2021; 234:159-173. [PMID: 33746108 PMCID: PMC8217165 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
As COVID-19 accelerated throughout 2020, syringe service programs (SSPs) faced challenges necessitating programmatic adaptations to prevent overdose deaths while simultaneously keeping workers and participants safe from COVID-19. We used qualitative methods to gain an understanding of the social context within which SSPs are operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted 36 in-depth interviews with program representatives from 18 programs and used the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) implementation framework to guide data analysis. We focused on 3 of the 4 EPIS constructs: Outer context, inner context, and innovation factors. Our data indicate that responding to the pandemic led to innovations in service delivery such as secondary and mail-based distribution, adoption of telemedicine for enrolling participants in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and use of virtual training platforms for overdose prevention. We found high levels of staff and volunteer commitment, which was a cornerstone to the success of these innovations. We observed that many SSPs were short-staffed because of their commitment to safety, and some lost current funding as well as opportunities for future funding. Despite minimal staffing and diminished funding, SSPs innovated at an accelerated pace. To ensure the sustainability of these new approaches, a supportive external context (federal, state, and local policies and funding) is needed to support the development of SSPs' inner contexts (organizational characteristics, characteristics of individuals) and sustainment of the innovations achieved regarding delivery of naloxone and MOUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ricky N Bluthenthal
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
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