Preventing Opioid Overdose through the Emergency Department – a Behavioral Opioid Safety Intervention
Reducing Opioid Overdose Risk
The Center’s behavioral intervention reduced prescription opioid overdose risk behaviors (e.g., 40.5% reduction in intervention compared to 14.7% in controls).
The Issue
Modification of prescription overdose risk behaviors is the focus of a growing body of opioid prevention research. Considering the worsening epidemic of opioid overdose events, solutions to the crisis and new evidence-based research focusing on effective prevention strategies are highly sought after. Further, the emergency department setting presents an ever growing population experiencing an overdose event, and therefore the opportunity to reach those who can most benefit from behavioral intervention.
How was this addressed?
In response to the opioid overdose crisis, the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center capitalized on the robust and integrated Center infrastructure, which facilitates rapid translation of new evidence to use within practice in the field. In efficiently moving science to practice, we developed a tailored, motivational interviewing-based, 30 minute Behavioral Opioid Safety (BOS) intervention for delivery among emergency department (ED) patients.
This Work Helped...
Generate New Research
Translate Knowledge
Disseminate the Latest Injury Prevention Science
Develop Evidence-based Interventions
Provide Technical Assistance
Train Researchers & Practitioners in Injury Prevention
Key Results – Program Impact
The Center’s behavioral intervention reduced prescription opioid overdose risk behaviors (e.g., 40.5% reduction in intervention compared to 14.7% in controls).
Follow-on proiects focused on the:
- development of a three-session intervention to reduce overdose risk behavior among individuals in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment
- completion of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention to reduce opioid overdose risk behaviors among VHA primary care patients receiving long-term opioid therapy; and
- use of new mobile technology in delivering a motivational intervention after the emergency department (ED) visit, in order to directly address the use of ED-provided opioids.
Our researchers are continuing to build on this work, translating this intervention for delivery to patients presenting to community practice settings (e.g., screening, intervention delivery and videos), expanding focus to prescription and illicit opioids (e.g., heroin) and combining delivery with naloxone distribution.