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Objectives: To estimate all-cause and cause-specific mortality burden in patients who received medication treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).

Methods: We (the CTN Health Systems Node) conducted a cohort study of 27,230 patients who received medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), buprenorphine or naltrexone, matched 1:1 to individuals without MOUD from 4 US health systems in California, Colorado, and Michigan between 2012 and 2021. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with bootstrapped 95% CI to assess mortality burden.

Results: Patients who received treatment for OUD were 4 times more likely to die from any cause (SMR 4.37, 95% CI 3.80-4.64) and 37 times more likely to die from drug overdose (SMR 37.58, 95% CI 29.33-55.09; 41.6% of all deaths) compared to demographically similar individuals. Deaths from non-overdose causes showed modest but significant burden (SMR 2.68, 95% CI 2.31-2.86; 58.4% of deaths). The top contributors to non-overdose deaths were circulatory system diseases (SMR 3.06, 95% CI 1.73-3.63; 13.9% of deaths), other external causes (SMR 4.50, 95% CI 3.64-5.62; 11.3% of deaths), and cancers (SMR 1.59, 95% CI 1.30-1.86; 9.4% of deaths), which all showed elevated mortality.

Conclusions: Continued efforts are needed to prevent high burden of mortality from both overdose and non-overdose causes among patients with MOUD treatment.

Importance: Health plan disenrollment may interrupt treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and overall care, increasing risk for serious outcomes, including overdose and death. There is limited evidence on the association of disenrollment with all-cause and overdose mortality after initiating medications for OUD (MOUD) treatment.

Objective: To assess the association of health plan disenrollment with all-cause and overdose mortality in patients treated with MOUD.

Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study conducted by the CTN Health Systems Node, included privately and publicly insured patients aged 16 years or older who initiated buprenorphine or naltrexone for OUD treatment between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2021, at 3 integrated health insurance and care delivery systems in 2 US states. Patients were followed up to 2 years until December 31, 2022. Data were analyzed July 2024 to November 2025.

Exposure: Health plan disenrollment following MOUD initiation.

Main outcomes and measures: All-cause mortality and drug-related and alcohol-related overdose mortality within 2 years of MOUD initiation ascertained from the National Death Index. Survival analyses were adjusted for patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Results: Among 20,011 patients (mean [SD] age 38.7 [15.1] years; 12 299 males [61.5%]) who were treated for OUD, 6948 (34.7%) experienced disenrollment and 586 (2.9%) died during follow-up. The crude rate was 15.3 (95% CI, 14.1-16.6) per 1000 person-years for all-cause mortality and 6.2 (95% CI, 5.4-7.0) per 1000 person-years for overdose mortality. Ever experiencing disenrollment showed elevated all-cause mortality (17.6 [95% CI, 14.9-20.8] vs 14.7 [95% CI, 13.4-16.1] per 1000 person-years) and overdose mortality (8.9 [95% CI, 7.1-11.3] vs 5.4 [95% CI, 4.7-6.3] per 1000 person-years) relative to remaining enrolled. In adjusted analyses, ever experiencing disenrollment was associated with increased hazards of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.23-1.84) and overdose mortality (HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.17-2.09). Compared with remaining enrolled and receiving MOUD treatment, being disenrolled (HR, 4.34; 95% CI, 3.19-5.89) and being enrolled and not receiving MOUD treatment (HR, 4.19; 95% CI, 3.24-5.43) were associated with overall mortality.

Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study of patients who initiated MOUD, experiencing health plan disenrollment was associated with increased mortality risk compared with remaining enrolled. Strategies are needed to improve continuity of health coverage and mitigate the elevated mortality risk during insurance transitions for patients receiving medications for OUD.

Background: Most people with opioid use disorder (OUD) do not receive evidence-based treatment. To increase treatment rates, primary care clinics may choose to implement risk prediction tools available in the electronic health record (EHR) to identify patients with a high risk of OUD or overdose.

Objective: To externally validate Epic’s cognitive computing model to predict the Risk of Opioid Abuse or Overdose (referred to as the Opioid Risk Score; ORS) in three large integrated health systems.

Design: Prospective cohort study secondary to an ongoing clinical trial.

Participants: Patients (N = 704,764) aged 18-75 who had a primary care encounter during the study period (April 2021-December 2022) and did not have an OUD diagnosis at index.

Main measures: Data were extracted from the EHR. The index date was defined as the first date within the study period where the patient met eligibility criteria and had an ORS calculated by the EHR. The binary outcome variable was whether the patient was diagnosed with OUD or experienced an opioid overdose within 12 months of the index date.

Key results: Most patients were classified as low risk on ORS (99.6%). Few patients experienced an OUD diagnosis or overdose in the 12-month follow-up period (0.3%). The model correctly classified 185 of 2362 patients who experienced an event (sensitivity 0.0783, 95% CI 0.0675, 0.0892) and 699,926 of 702,406 patients who did not experience an event (specificity 0.9965, 95% CI 0.9963, 0.9966). Few patients with high ORS experienced the event (PPV 0.0694, 95% CI 0.0598, 0.0791). The model had excellent discrimination (c-statistic = 0.815) but was poorly calibrated, underestimating risk for patients who experienced the outcomes.

Conclusions: Epic’s ORS demonstrated excellent discrimination but very low sensitivity across three large integrated health systems. Health systems should exercise caution before implementing vendor risk prediction models without validating their use in their patient populations.

Related protocols: CTN-0095

Introduction: Given the continued rise in opioid exposed pregnancies and overdose during the postnatal period, it is critical to identify risk characteristics among this population to enable clinicians to better tailor interventions. This exploratory study sought to develop a deeper understanding of overdose risk characteristics among pregnant people with opioid use disorder and which characteristics may contribute to differing risk profiles.

Methods: Design and participants. This exploratory secondary analysis utilized baseline data from a large-scale national multi-site randomized controlled trial that compared two buprenorphine formulations among treatment seeking pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder.

Assessments: For risk group identification, the Personal Opioid-Overdose Risk Survey was used. Trauma history experience was assessed using the Trauma History Screen and substance use history was captured using the DSM-5 Checklist and Treatment Services Review V6.

Analyses: Latent class analysis identified unique subgroups of participants based on overdose risk factors. Latent class group membership was associated with trauma history and substance use characteristics using logistic and stepwise logistic regression.

Results: Three distinct classes of overdose risk emerged: the tolerance and polysubstance/alcohol use (HIGH-ALC) class (n = 14, 10 %), synthetic opioid and polysubstance use (LOW-ALC/FENT) class (n = 65, 46.4 %), and the low risk (LOW-RISK) class (n = 61, 43.6 %). The HIGH-ALC class reported the most (non-opioid) substance use in the last 12 months with 6 times higher odds of marijuana use (95 % CI, 1.01-35.67) and 17.48 times higher odds of cocaine use (95 % CI, 3.45-88.48) compared to the LOW-RISK class. The LOW-ALC/FENT class (n = 65, 46.4 %) had the highest reports of childhood physical abuse, greater odds of experiencing intimate partner violence regarding recovery (OR = 4.82, 95 % CI = 1.90-12.26), and greater odds of a threat to safe living (OR = 3.35, 95 % CI = 0.72-15.66). The LOW-RISK class (n = 61, 43.6 %) had the lowest reports of polysubstance use in the last 12 months and the least reports of both childhood sexual trauma and adulthood sexual trauma.

Conclusions: Through better understanding distinct patient overdose risk profiles, healthcare providers can deliver more targeted prevention interventions to address individual needs and improve maternal outcomes.

Related protocols: CTN-0080

Objectives: Despite drug overdose deaths increasing among peripartum persons, little is known about how to increase naloxone acceptance in this population. This study evaluated the effect of a brief 15-min computer facilitated personally-Tailored Opioid-overdose and Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) Educational intervention (TOME) on naloxone uptake and compared participant characteristics based on naloxone acceptance.

Methods: This secondary analysis of data is from an outpatient randomized multisite trial with peripartum individuals receiving MOUD treatment (CTN-0150). Participants were randomized to TOME or control. TOME participants met 1:1 with research staff to review a printout of missed pre-test opioid overdose and MOUD knowledge questions that explained the correct answer. Control participants received educational materials from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Baseline demographics, treatment characteristics, opioid overdose and MOUD knowledge, and self-report MOUD stigma ratings were compared between participants who accepted versus declined free study-provided naloxone because they already had it or for other reasons. The intervention’s effect on naloxone acceptance was evaluated after delivery of TOME or control among those accepting versus those declining naloxone for other reasons.

Results: Of 111 participants, 90 accepted naloxone, 14 declined due to already having naloxone, and seven declined for other reasons (e.g., not affiliating with people who would need it, not wanting it in their house, allergy), These three groups significantly differed on past stigma from family (p = 0.007) and employers (p = 0.013) whereby participants declining naloxone due to already having it had the lowest stigma. Those accepting naloxone (n = 90) were nearly evenly split between TOME (n = 48) and control (n = 42). Six of the seven declining naloxone for other reasons were control participants. Among the 97 accepting naloxone or declining it for other reasons, TOME trended toward increasing naloxone acceptance (OR: 6.857, CI: 0.793, 59.291, Fisher Exact test p = 0.0592). There was a higher percentage of correct MOUD answers in the 90 accepting naloxone (66.8 %) vs. the 7 declining for other reasons (55.7 %; p = 0.0471).

Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest the need for further work to determine if educational interventions can enhance naloxone acceptance and suggest that stigma and medication treatment knowledge may be important factors influencing naloxone acceptance.

Related protocols: CTN-0150

Background: Over the past decade, opioid overdose deaths have sharply increased. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework can guide interventions to improve opioid use disorder (OUD) outcomes. No comprehensive review of SDOH interventions and their impacts on OUD outcomes is available. This scoping review addresses that gap.

Methods: We extracted articles from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. Interventions were categorized according to SDOH domains: healthcare system, social and community context, neighborhood environment, economic stability, and education. Interventions and OUD outcomes (e.g., treatment initiation, opioid use, overdose) were summarized.

Results: Twenty-seven peer-reviewed studies targeted SDOH domains. The healthcare system domain (37% of studies) was the most frequently addressed, focusing on provider training, access, and quality-of-care improvements with outcomes like increased initiation of medication for OUD, reduced opioid use, and reduced provider stigma. Community and social context (30%) interventions included social support programs and community coalitions that reduced opioid use, overdose, and community-level stigma. Economic stability (16%) interventions included employment-based reinforcements and financial incentives to promote abstinence. Neighborhood and physical environment (9%) interventions included Housing-First initiatives that reduced opioid use. In the education domain (2%), an early education intervention reduced adulthood OUD risk. Over half of all studies (52%) used randomized designs; the remainder used quasi-experimental approaches. Gaps included a limited range of SDOH interventions, inconsistent definitions and measurements of SDOH, and a lack of rigorous evaluations.

Conclusion: Future research should harmonize SDOH terminology and metrics, rigorously assess SDOH intervention outcomes, and expand the range of SDOH interventions.

Introduction: Prescription opioid dose reductions can raise the risk of adverse events for patients on long-term opioid therapy for non-cancer pain. Evidence on whether risks differ by age or sex is needed to support tailored clinical decision-making.

Methods: In 2024, a secondary analysis of an observational cohort study (NIDA-CTN-0084) was conducted across 8 U.S. healthcare systems analyzing electronic health record and claims data from a prescription opioid registry (excluding buprenorphine prescriptions) between 1/1/2012 and 12/31/2018, including adults with stable prescription opioid use and a subsequent =2-month dose reduction period (n=60,040), yielding 600,234 dose reduction periods as the analytic sample.

Differences in the association between dose reduction level (1-<15%, 15-<30%, 30-<100%, 100% from baseline) and potential adverse events (emergency department visits, opioid overdose, all-cause mortality, benzodiazepine prescription fills) in the month after dose reduction by sex and age group were examined by including interaction terms in logistic regression models.

Results: Of the 600,234 dose reduction periods, 346,733 were among women, with a mean age of 57.5 [SD=13.2] years for women and 56.7 [SD=12.1] years for men. Associations between dose reduction levels and potential adverse events did not differ significantly by sex, but differed by age for emergency department visits: patients 40-64 and =65 years with dose reductions of 30-<100% had lower odds compared to those aged 19-39 (adjusted ratio of odds ratios [aROR]=0.87, CI 0.80, 0.96; aROR=0.82, CI 0.74, 0.91; respectively).

Conclusions: Patients under 40 may benefit from closer monitoring in the month after dose reduction, given their higher odds of an emergency department visit.

Related protocols: CTN-0084

Aim: This study: (1) estimated the effect of early discontinuation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) on overdose probability and (2) measured the relationship between patient characteristics and early discontinuation probability for each MOUD type.

Design, setting and participants: This was a retrospective cohort using electronic health record data from the US Veterans Healthcare Administration. Participants were veterans initiating MOUD with buprenorphine (BUP), methadone (MET) or extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) from fiscal years 2012-19. A total of 39 284 veterans met eligibility with 22 721 (57.8%) initiating BUP, 12 652 (32.2%) initiating MET and 3911 (10.0%) initiating XR-NTX.

Measurements: Measurements (1) determined whether the veteran experienced an overdose in the 365 days after MOUD initiation (primary) and (2) early discontinuation of MOUD, defined as discontinuation before 180 days (secondary). We assumed that unobserved patient characteristics would jointly influence the probability of discontinuation and overdose. and estimated the joint distribution with a bivariate probit model.

Findings: We found that 9.0% of BUP initiators who experienced an overdose above the predicted 3.9% had no veteran-discontinued BUP early; findings for XR-NTX were similar, with 12.2% of initiators overdosing above the predicted 4.5%, but this was statistically inconclusive. We found no relationship between early discontinuation and overdose for MET initiators, probably due to the high risk of both events. The patient characteristics included in our post-estimation exploratory analysis of early discontinuation varied by MOUD type, with between 14 (XR-NTX) and 25 (BUP) tested. The only characteristics with at least one level showing a statistically significant change in probability of early discontinuation for all three MOUD types were geography and prior-year exposure to psychotherapy, although direction and magnitude varied.

Conclusions: Early discontinuation of buprenorphine, and probably extended-release naltrexone, appears to be associated with a greater probability of experiencing a fatal or non-fatal overdose among US veterans receiving medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD); methadone does not show the same association. There is no consistent set of characteristics among early discontinuers by MOUD type.

Related protocols: CTN-0142

This is the primary outcomes article for CTN-0150.

Overdose is a leading cause of pregnancy-associated mortality in the US. Our personally-tailored opioid-overdose (OOD) and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) education intervention has been shown to significantly improve MOUD/OOD knowledge in out-of-treatment persons using illicit opioids. We evaluated the ability of the intervention modified for peripartum (pregnant or within one year postpartum) individuals, the personally-tailored OOD and MOUD education (TOME) intervention, to increase MOUD (primary) and OOD (key secondary) knowledge.

Methods: A six-site, two-arm, open-label, trial with 131 peripartum individuals receiving MOUD (methadone or buprenorphine) randomized to TOME, a 15-minute, computer-facilitated, individually-tailored intervention, or Control. TOME participants received education on MOUD and OOD questions they missed in a pre-test. Control participants received SAMHSA handouts on OOD and MOUD. All participants were scheduled for a 3-week post-test.

Results: Participants were enrolled in MOUD for an average of 15.6 months (SD=20.4) at baseline, with 30.5% enrolled in methadone and 69.5% enrolled in buprenorphine treatment. On the pre-test, participants answered 66.7% of the MOUD and 82.1% of the OOD questions correctly on average. Linear regressions indicated that participants’ MOUD (X2=33.96, p<0.001) and OOD (X2=45.78, p<0.001) knowledge increased significantly more in the TOME, relative to Control, group.

Conclusions: In a sample of peripartum patients enrolled in MOUD for a substantial length of time, TOME significantly increased MOUD and OOD knowledge. Taken together with past research, these findings suggest that there are gaps in MOUD and OOD knowledge in individuals with opioid use disorder that can be addressed with brief personally-tailored education.

Related protocols: CTN-0150

This manual for the Peer Intervention to Link Overdose Survivors to Treatment (PILOT) trial, CTN-0107, was prepared for use by peers working on the protocol. The intent of the manual is to provide materials to be used during peer training, reference materials to be used during the implementation of the clinical trial, and reference material for supervision. At the end of the study, the manual will be revised with input from participating peers and a revised manual will be developed for use in any follow-up studies.

The manual contains sections on the background of the PILOT study and intervention, what PILOT peers do in the study (engagement/re-engagement, peer coaching, transition and termination of the intervention), other things peers know and do in the PILOT study (study documentation, supervision, self-care and support, safety), and an array of tools and FAQs for peer participants.

Related protocols: CTN-0107

Background: The opioid epidemic presses on as a significant public health issue in the U.S., with particularly high overdose death rates in the Southeast. Naloxone is the standard of care for reversing opioid overdose; however, many people who use drugs (PWUD) experience barriers to naloxone use. This cross-sectional survey study aims to describe awareness of, experience with, willingness, barriers, and distribution strategies for naloxone among PWUD in the Southeast.

Methods: Data were obtained from a larger implementation survey study (CTN-0082). Descriptive analyses focused on N = 381 people in substance use treatment programs, syringe services programs, and sexually transmitted infection clinics who reported non-prescription opioid use in the past 12 months and completed a naloxone-related questionnaire.

Results: Most PWUD reported using opioids daily (60–62 %). 82 % had previously heard of naloxone, but only 43 % reported having received any type of training to use it. On a 5-point scale, PWUD without prior training (n = 219) reported being very willing to be trained to use naloxone on someone who overdoses (Mdn=5.00, IQR=2.00). Among all PWUD, not knowing where to go for naloxone training was the only barrier to using naloxone that was endorsed with certainty (Mdn=4.00, IQR=2.00). PWUD endorsed three strategies to improve naloxone distribution, including wanting their site to offer naloxone training (Mdn=4.00, IQR=1.00), increased access to naloxone education (Mdn=4.00, IQR=1.00), and connecting people to training programs (Mdn=4.00, IQR=1.00).

Conclusion: This study suggests that improvements are still needed in the saturation of naloxone training and distribution among PWUD, including in settings that provide non-opioid related services.

Related protocols: CTN-0082

Introduction: Individuals with opioid use disorder are at elevated suicide risk, but systematic screening in this population is rarely done. This study assessed the effects of targeted clinical decision support prompts on structured suicide risk assessment completion.

Methods: The study used a cluster-randomized controlled pragmatic pilot design. Adult primary care patients (aged 18-75 years) with or at risk for opioid use disorder or opioid overdose and suicide were eligible. Patients sought care from 15 Midwestern primary care clinics between July, 31, 2021 and July, 31, 2022. Data were analyzed between March and June 2023. Clinicians in intervention and control clinics received a printout from rooming staff, prompted by a clinical decision support-generated electronic health record alert, suggesting clinicians talk with patients about opioid risks. Intervention clinician handouts also alerted them to patients estimated to be at increased suicide risk and recommended completion of a Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to further evaluate suicide risk. The handouts for control clinicians did not include suicide risk alerts. The main outcome measured the completion of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale in the 14 days following a visit.

Results: A total of 115 eligible patients (69 intervention, 46 control) made at least 1 visit to a randomized clinic. Patients mean age was 39 years, and 57% were women; 48% of patients had a high risk of opioid use disorder or opioid overdose, 39% had an opioid use disorder diagnosis, 12% had an opioid use disorder in remission diagnosis, and 5% had a recent opioid overdose. Over a mean follow-up of 249 days, 20.3% of intervention patients and 17.4% of control patients had at least 1 Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale completed in the next 14 days (p=0.70). Most (71%-75%) Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale scores were 0, indicating no risk.

Conclusions: This pilot study did not increase the uptake of structured suicide risk assessments in primary care for patients at elevated risk for opioid use disorder and suicide. More robust interventions are likely needed to promote suicide risk assessment in primary care.

Related protocols: CTN-0095-A-1

In the United States, one in 14 individuals experience a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). SAMHSA stated that in 2020, approximately 40 million individuals from ages 12 and above had a SUD (CDC, 2022 ; SAMHSA, 2021). There has been a 44% increase in overdose rates in Black communities between 1999 to 2023. One longitudinal study found that the opioid overdose fatality rate among “non-Hispanic Black men 55 years or older was 40.03 per 100,000 population, 4 times greater than the overall opioid overdose fatality rate of 10.70 per 100,000 for persons of the same age” (Mason, Soliman, Kim, & Post, 2022).

This poster describes CTN-0127, a pilot exploratory study that will pave the way for future initiatives focused on increasing SUD care in underserved Black communities through learning collaboratives (LC) between faith-based leaders (FBLs) and behavioral health providers (BHLs). An LC is a short-term (6- to 15-month) learning system that brings together teams (e.g., FBLs, community members, behavioral health/SUD, and social service providers) to seek improvement in a focused topic area.

Related protocols: CTN-0027

The increase in opioid-related overdoses has caused a decrease in average life expectancy, highlighting the need for effective interventions to reduce overdose risk and prevent subsequent overdoses. Peer support specialists (PSSs) offer an appealing strategy to engage overdose survivors and reduce overdose risk, but randomized controlled trials are needed to formalize peer-led interventions and evaluate their effectiveness.

Objective: This National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study is a multisite, prospective, pilot randomized (1:1) controlled trial (CTN protocol 0107) that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an emergency department (ED)–initiated, peer-delivered intervention tailored for opioid overdose survivors (Peer Intervention to Link Overdose survivors to Treatment [PILOT]), compared with treatment as usual (TAU).

Methods: This study evaluates the effectiveness of the 6-month, PSS-led PILOT intervention compared with TAU on the primary outcome of reducing overdose risk behavior 6 months after enrollment. Adults (aged =18 years; N=150) with a recent opioid-related overdose were identified and approached in the ED. Participants were screened and enrolled, either in the ED or within 7 days of ED discharge at research offices or in the community and then asked to complete study visits at months 1, 3, 6 (end of intervention), and 7 (follow-up). Participants were enrolled at 3 study sites in the United States: Greenville, South Carolina; Youngstown, Ohio; and Everett, Washington. Participants randomized to the PILOT intervention received a 6-month, PSS-led intervention tailored to each participant’s goals to reduce their overdose risk behavior (eg, overdose harm reduction, housing, medical, and substance use treatment or recovery goals). Participants randomized to TAU received standard-of-care overdose materials, education, and services provided through the participating EDs. This paper describes the study protocol and procedures, explains the design and inclusion and exclusion decisions, and provides details of the peer-led PILOT intervention and supervision of PILOT PSSs.

Results: Study enrollment opened in December 2021 and was closed in July 2023. A total of 150 participants across 3 sites were enrolled in the study, meeting the proposed sample size for the trial. Primary and secondary analyses are underway and expected to be published in early 2025.

Conclusions: There is an urgent need to better understand the characteristics of overdose survivors presenting to the ED and for rigorous trials evaluating the effectiveness of PSS-led interventions on engaging overdose survivors and reducing overdose risk. Results from this pilot randomized controlled trial will provide a description of the characteristics of overdose survivors presenting to the ED; outline the implementation of PSS services research in ED settings, including PSS implementation of PSS supervision and activity tracking; and inform ED-initiated PSS-led overdose risk reduction interventions and future research to better understand the implementation and efficacy of these interventions.

Related protocols: CTN-0107

The US overdose epidemic is an escalating public health emergency, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually. Despite the availability of medications for opioid use disorders, provider-level barriers, such as negative attitudes, exacerbate the treatment gap in clinical care settings. Assessing the prevalence and intensity of provider stigma, defined as the negative perceptions and behaviors that providers embody and enact toward patients with substance use disorders, across providers with different specialties, is critical to expanding the delivery of substance use treatment.

Objective: To thoroughly understand provider stigma toward patients with substance use disorders, we conducted a nationwide survey of emergency medicine and primary care physicians and dentists using a questionnaire designed to reveal how widely and intensely provider attitudes and stigma can impact these providers’ clinical practices in caring for their patients. The survey also queried providers’ stigma and clinical practices toward other chronic conditions, which can then be compared with their stigma and practices related to substance use disorders.

Methods: Our cross-sectional survey was mailed to a nationally representative sample of primary care physicians, emergency medicine physicians, and dentists (N=3011), obtained by American Medical Association and American Dental Association licensees based on specified selection criteria. We oversampled nonmetropolitan practice areas, given the potential differences in provider stigma and available resources in these regions compared with metropolitan areas. Data collection followed a recommended series of contacts with participants per the Dillman Total Design Method, with mixed-modality options offered (email, mail, fax, and phone). A gradually increasing compensation scale (maximum US$250) was implemented to recruit chronic nonresponders and assess the association between requiring higher incentives to participate and providers stigma. The primary outcome, provider stigma, was measured using the Medical Condition Regard Scale, which inquired about participants’ views on substance use and other chronic conditions. Additional survey measures included familiarity and social engagement with people with substance use disorders; clinical practices (screening, treating, and referring for a range of chronic conditions); subjective norms and social desirability; knowledge and prior education; and descriptions of their patient populations.

Results: Data collection was facilitated through collaboration with the National Opinion Research Center between October 2020 and October 2022. The overall Council of American Survey Research Organizations completion rate was 53.62% (1240/2312.7; physicians overall: 855/1681.9, 50.83% [primary care physicians: 506/1081.3, 46.79%; emergency medicine physicians: 349/599.8, 58.2%]; dentists: 385/627.1, 61.4%). The ineligibility rate among those screened is applied to those not screened, causing denominators to include fractional numbers.

Conclusions: Using systematically quantified data on the prevalence and intensity of provider stigma toward substance use disorders in health care, we can provide evidence-based improvement strategies and policies to inform the development and implementation of stigma-reduction interventions for providers to address their perceptions and treatment of substance use.

Related protocols: CTN-0104