What this study is
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether adding peer recovery support services to standard opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in primary care helps patients stay in treatment longer. The main question it seeks to answer is whether it is feasible to deliver a peer recovery support intervention alongside medication-assisted treatment (buprenorphine) in a Philadelphia primary care clinic.
Participants will receive standard OUD treatment (buprenorphine) combined with peer recovery support services for 180 days. They will attend study visits at baseline, weekly for the first 2 weeks, then every 2 weeks, then monthly, and complete assessments about substance use, medication adherence, self-efficacy, resilience, and coping. Participants will also take part in brief periodic interviews about their experience with peer support.
What's being tested
- Peer Support
Intervention · BEHAVIORAL
Peer recovery support services delivered by trained, certified peers with lived experience of opioid use disorder, added to standard medication-assisted treatment (buprenorphine) in a primary care setting. Peer services are structured around three stages of OUD treatment (initial engagement, early treatment, and stable treatment) with contact intensity tailored to dropout risk at each stage (approximately 2 contact hours/week during initial engagement). Contact modalities include in-office meetings, phone calls, texts, and appointment reminders. Peers are supervised and integrated as full members of the clinical care team. The intervention was developed with input from OUD, peer, and implementation experts and informed by qualitative and survey data from Philadelphia-region OUD treatment programs. Caseload: approximately 15 patients per peer. Duration: 180 days.
Study details
- Official title
- Reducing OUD Treatment Dropout: Development and Pilot Test of a Peer Recovery Support Intervention in Primary Care
- Sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Conditions
- Opioid Use Disorder · Peer Recovery Supporters · Peer Recovery Coaching · Primary Care · Buprenorphine
- Enrolling
- 15 people
- Starts
- 2026-01-09
- Est. completion
- 2027-10-31
- Design
- Open-label, single group
- Record
- View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Who can join
Age 18 Years and overSex ALLHealthy volunteers AcceptedYou may qualify if
- Age 18 years or older
- Diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD)
- Currently receiving or initiating buprenorphine treatment from a primary care physician
- Able to communicate in English
- Access to a phone
- Able and willing to provide written informed consent
You can't join if
- Acute suicidal ideation or intent
- Active mania or psychotic episode
- Significant cognitive impairment
Sign in and we'll check these against your records.Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Loading treatment details…
Study locations (1)
1 openPenn Family Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Study team
Sponsor
University of Pennsylvania
Study ID 858768
Principal investigator
Rebecca A Harris, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Frequently asked questions
The sponsor hasn't published answers to common questions for this trial.