Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to clinical practice within traditional addiction treatment programmes, including the increased use of telehealth, reduced restrictions on methadone administration (eg, increased availability of take-home doses and decreased requirements for in-p...

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Main Authors: Sugy Choi, Rhea Naik, Kamila Kiszko, Charles Neighbors, Thomas D’Aunno
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2022-07-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e056168.full
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author Sugy Choi
Rhea Naik
Kamila Kiszko
Charles Neighbors
Thomas D’Aunno
author_facet Sugy Choi
Rhea Naik
Kamila Kiszko
Charles Neighbors
Thomas D’Aunno
author_sort Sugy Choi
collection DOAJ
description Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to clinical practice within traditional addiction treatment programmes, including the increased use of telehealth, reduced restrictions on methadone administration (eg, increased availability of take-home doses and decreased requirements for in-person visits), reduced reliance on group counselling and less urine drug screening. This paper describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study analysing organisational-level factors that are associated with changes in clinic-level practice changes and treatment retention.Methods and analysis We will employ an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to study the treatment practices for opioid use disorder (OUD) patients in New York State (NYS). For the quantitative aim, we will use the Client Data System and Medicaid claims data to examine the variation in clinical practices (ie, changes in telehealth, pharmacotherapy, group vs individual counselling and urine drug screening) and retention in treatment for OUD patients across 580 outpatient clinics in NYS during the pandemic. Clinics will be categorised into quartiles based on composite rankings by calculating cross-clinic Z scores for the clinical practice change and treatment retention variables. We will apply the random-effects modelling to estimate change by clinic by introducing a fixed-effect variable for each clinic, adjusting for key individual and geographic characteristics and estimate the changes in the clinical practice changes and treatment retention. We will then employ qualitative methods and interview 200 key informants (ie, programme director, clinical supervisor, counsellor and medical director) to develop an understanding of the quantitative findings by examining organisational characteristics of programmes (n=25) representative of those that rank in the top quartile of clinical practice measures as well as programmes that performed worst on these measures (n=25).Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of NYU Langone Health (#i21-00573). Study findings will be disseminated through national and international conferences, reports and peer-reviewed publications.
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spelling doaj-art-aa2ee451478c4053a45e154b43672b372025-01-31T13:45:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-07-0112710.1136/bmjopen-2021-056168Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocolSugy Choi0Rhea Naik1Kamila Kiszko2Charles Neighbors3Thomas D’Aunno4Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USADepartment of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USADepartment of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USADepartment of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USANew York University Robert F Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York City, New York, USAIntroduction The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to clinical practice within traditional addiction treatment programmes, including the increased use of telehealth, reduced restrictions on methadone administration (eg, increased availability of take-home doses and decreased requirements for in-person visits), reduced reliance on group counselling and less urine drug screening. This paper describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study analysing organisational-level factors that are associated with changes in clinic-level practice changes and treatment retention.Methods and analysis We will employ an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to study the treatment practices for opioid use disorder (OUD) patients in New York State (NYS). For the quantitative aim, we will use the Client Data System and Medicaid claims data to examine the variation in clinical practices (ie, changes in telehealth, pharmacotherapy, group vs individual counselling and urine drug screening) and retention in treatment for OUD patients across 580 outpatient clinics in NYS during the pandemic. Clinics will be categorised into quartiles based on composite rankings by calculating cross-clinic Z scores for the clinical practice change and treatment retention variables. We will apply the random-effects modelling to estimate change by clinic by introducing a fixed-effect variable for each clinic, adjusting for key individual and geographic characteristics and estimate the changes in the clinical practice changes and treatment retention. We will then employ qualitative methods and interview 200 key informants (ie, programme director, clinical supervisor, counsellor and medical director) to develop an understanding of the quantitative findings by examining organisational characteristics of programmes (n=25) representative of those that rank in the top quartile of clinical practice measures as well as programmes that performed worst on these measures (n=25).Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of NYU Langone Health (#i21-00573). Study findings will be disseminated through national and international conferences, reports and peer-reviewed publications.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e056168.full
spellingShingle Sugy Choi
Rhea Naik
Kamila Kiszko
Charles Neighbors
Thomas D’Aunno
Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
BMJ Open
title Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
title_full Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
title_fullStr Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
title_full_unstemmed Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
title_short Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol
title_sort mixed methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to covid 19 a study protocol
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e056168.full
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