Developing a Tailored Stigma Reduction Intervention to Increase Buprenorphine Prescribing

Summary

Buprenorphine is an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder that also has strong potential to reduce HIV transmission in people who use drugs. Rural health care professionals are eligible and critically needed to provide these medications, but stigma currently limits provider willingness to prescribe buprenorphine, especially in regions where mortality and HIV transmission secondary to opioid use are high. In this developmental trial, the investigators will adapt, refine, and test the feasibility of a prototype brief stigma-reduction training intervention aimed at increasing buprenorphine prescribing in the rural primary care setting.

Conditions

• Opioid-Related Disorders
• Buprenorphine
• Social Stigma
• Rural Health Services

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Stigma-reduction training

While the details will be finalized by the intervention working group after the key modifiable features of OUD-stigma among rural HCPs are isolated in Aim 1, our intervention will include several new elements that distinguish it from existing stigma-reduction interventions. The prototype intervention includes several modules aimed at decreasing stigma, increasing knowledge about medications for OUD, and increasing willingness to prescribe buprenorphine (see Table 3) among rural HCPs currently in practice.

BEHAVIORAL

Placebo

HCPs affiliated with clinics in the control arm will receive no training but will be provided with a link to the SAMHSA website where prescribers can learn more about buprenorphine prescribing and apply to receive an X-waiver.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ohio State University

  collaborator OTHER

• Rutgers University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of North Carolina

  collaborator OTHER

• Ohio University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Berkeley Franz, Ph.D. · Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-09-01

Primary Completion

2025-06-30

Completion

2025-06-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations