Effects of the Communities That HEAL intervention on initiation, retention, and linkage to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD): A cluster randomized wait-list controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) can reduce opioid use and overdose deaths. This study examined whether the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention increased MOUD initiation, retention, and linkage. The HEALing Communities Study was a multi-site, 2-arm, parallel, community-level, cluster-randomized, unblinded, wait-list controlled trial conducted in 67 communities (n = 34 intervention, n = 33 control). Using Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Medicaid claims data, we compared mean community-level rates of MOUD outcomes during the 1-year comparison period (July 2021-June 2022) for: (a) MOUD receipt at least once; (b) continuous MOUD receipt for 180 days; and (c) MOUD linkage within 31 days following an opioid-related emergency department or hospital encounter. For interven

SUBMITTER: Brown JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12302724 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature