# DAT 18-06 Feasibility and Acceptability of HIV, HCV, and Opioid Use Disorder Services in Syringe Service Programs

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2020 · $179,194

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate the national opioid crisis by reducing availability and access to harm
reduction and health services delivered by syringe service programs (SSPs). Monitoring the impact of COVID-
19 on the availability and delivery of harm reduction and health services by SSPs in the U.S. over time is
imperative for guiding local and national opioid policies. Failure to restore services will require additional
responses to avoid adverse consequences, including HIV and hepatitis C outbreaks, whereas potentially
beneficial responses, such as eliminating 1:1 syringe exchange requirements, should be disseminated widely.
This supplement proposes collecting and analyzing longitudinal data on the impact of recovery from COVID-19
on SSPs. We will describe the changes in national SSP services in response to COVID-19 over one year via
qualitative interviews and short surveys with SSPs every 6 months. Interviews will explore changes in harm
reduction and health services offered; funding, adoption and sustainment of innovative services and service
delivery; and barriers and facilitators for SSPs to delivering different services over a year. Descriptive data
analysis will be conducted to determine if programs recover, maintain, or adapt services 6 and 12 months after
the baseline survey. Qualitative data will be analyzed using content analysis. We will also conduct a
longitudinal analysis to determine the associations between COVID-19 reported infections, COVID-19
response policies, and SSP services delivered. SSPs registered with the North American Syringe Exchange
Network will be invited to participate in the longitudinal study that will collect monthly data on 1) number of
syringes dispensed, 2) number of naloxone kits dispensed, 3) estimated number of participants served (directly
and through secondary exchange), and 4) whether the SSP offered any on-site HIV or HCV testing in that
month. COVID-19 reported infections and policies will be derived from publicly available data sources. We will
conduct interrupted time series analysis to determine if changes in local COVID-19 stay-at-home policies are
associated with changes in the monthly number of syringes and naloxone distributed and per client rates,
taking into account reported local infection rates. Time-to-event analysis will be used to assess the impact of
COVID-19 infection rates and policies on HIV and HCV testing. Results will be disseminated to national and
local policy makers to support decision making for harm reduction and health services provided to people who
inject drugs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10192052
- **Project number:** 3R01DA027379-08S1
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Bruce R Schackman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $179,194
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2009-09-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10192052

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10192052, DAT 18-06 Feasibility and Acceptability of HIV, HCV, and Opioid Use Disorder Services in Syringe Service Programs (3R01DA027379-08S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10192052. Licensed CC0.

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