News from the Nodes
Health System Node
 We are pleased to provide brief updates on four Health System Node projects:
CTN-0072, Examine Patient and System-Level Factors Associated with HEDIS AOD-IET Measure Performance across Health Systems,was a fifteen month, data-only study that combined data from seven integrated health systems’ EHRs to examine the associations between patient demographic and clinical characteristics along with system level factors, such as location of addiction treatment services, on the HEDIS outcome measures for initiation, engagement, and treatment for alcohol and other drug disorders. The co-investigators produced seven papers that will be published in a supplemental section of an upcoming issue of Substance Abuse.
CTN-0074, PRimary care Opioid Use Disorders (PROUD), is a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, quality improvement trial. The trial is assessing whether the Massachusetts Model -- which uses a nurse care manager (NCM) to support treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in primary care -- is effective in large health systems. All outcome data come from health systems’ EHRs. All 6 sites were randomized by the end of August, and five sites have nurse care managers hired and working in primary care.
CTN-0077, Medical Cannabis Use Among Primary Care Patients: Using Electronic Health Records to Study Large Populations, our study of medical cannabis in primary care, is close to getting the natural language processing algorithms finalized to assess how cannabis use is described both implicitly and explicitly in patients’ electronic health records. Additionally, we have been working with an expert panel to design a patient survey on cannabis use frequency, different types of products, amounts used, and THC and CBD use. We expect to field the survey in early 2019.
CTN-0084, Developing a Prescription Opioid Registry across Diverse Health Systems a recently funded two-year project in its start-up phase, is an EHR-based opioid registry that will span 9 integrated health systems in the HSN. A primary research question is to examine dose reduction, or opioid tapering, to understand how it relates to health outcomes during key years of the opioid crisis, when national and health system guidelines were issued. We will examine how tapering is associated with emergency department (ED) service utilization, benzodiazepine use, and use of other non-opioid medications (e.g. NSAIDS, gabapentin), and mortality. |
Pacific Northwest Node
 The Pacific Northwest Node is happy to announce that Dr. Tanja Laschober has joined our team as National Project Director for CTN-0082, Implementation Survey of PrEP and Opioid Use Related Services In STI Clinics and MSM-Centered Community Based Organizations (CBOs), the PrEP Survey Study. Dr. Laschober will work with her counterpart at the Greater New York Node and Drs. Tross and Hatch-Maillette. She comes from the University of South Florida in Tampa to join the PNW Node at the University of Washington, just in time for Seattle’s rainy season!
Welcome Tanja!
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Western States Node & the Northwest ATTC
 The Western States Node and the Northwest ATTC collaborated this month to present a webinar about medication-assisted treatment.
Buprenorphine: for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders: An Overview was presented by P. Todd Korthuis, MD, MPH, co-PI of the WS Node. The webinar reviewed the biological basis for medications for OUD, presented recent data on the effects of buprenorphine on patient outcomes, and introduced tools for integrating buprenorphine treatment into your current setting, including tips on training for all staff from medical providers to those at the front desk.
The webinar was a huge success, with nearly 200 attendees, and a great question-and-answer period at the end. Thank you to all who attended, and to Dr. Korthuis for such an excellent and informative presentation!
The recording and slides are now available on the Northwest ATTC's website.
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ATTC/NIATx Service Improvement Blog
Global Implementation Conference, September 15-17, 2019
