# The Emergency Department Longitudinal Integrated Care (ED-LINC) Effectiveness Randomized Trial Targeting Opioid Use and Related Comorbidity from the ED

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $793,084

## Abstract

The US is currently experiencing an opioid epidemic with opioid overdose, opioid use disorder (OUD) and
Emergency Department (ED) visits related to opioids on the rise. The ED is at the forefront of this public health
emergency and often a place where patients with OUD come for treatment of medical problems, both related
and unrelated to opioid use. Medications for OUD (MOUD) and linkage to care from the ED are a critical piece
in addressing this crisis. Patients in the ED with OUD present with a complex constellation of substance use,
psychiatric and medical comorbidity, and often experience fragmented healthcare delivery. Comprehensive
disease management strategies, such as the Collaborative Care model, hold great promise for addressing the
treatment needs of patients with OUD in the ED. The Emergency Department Longitudinal Integrated Care
(ED-LINC) intervention derives from the Collaborative Care model and is a multi-component, longitudinal
intervention for patients with OUD and related comorbidity that is initiated during an ED visit. The ED-LINC
clinical trial will randomize 500 patients with OUD seeking care at two Washington State EDs to the ED-LINC
intervention (n=250) or usual care control (n=250) conditions. Patients randomized to the ED-LINC intervention
will receive; 1) overdose education; 2) brief bedside intervention targeting motivation to engage in outpatient
care; 3) a patient-centered approach to MOUD using a treatment decision support tool; 4) longitudinal and
proactive care management which will proceed for three months along with weekly caseload supervision of the
interventionist by a mental health professional allowing for stepped-up care targeting opioid use and
associated comorbidity. ED-LINC is supported by the Emergency Department Information Exchange (EDIE)
platform, which is a novel care coordination tool that collects data from hospitals in over 30 states and
packages this information for emergency providers in real-time alert notifications. Further features of EDIE
include creation of tailored care plans. The trial incorporates pragmatic outcome assessment elements,
including the use of EDIE and statewide administrative data to assess important outcomes on the intent-to-
treat sample. The ED-LINC trial tests the hypotheses that over time, patients randomized to the ED-LINC
intervention, when compared to patients randomized to usual care, will demonstrate: 1) significant reductions
in self-report illicit opioid use; 2) significant increases in MOUD initiation and retention, and 3) significant
reductions in ED utilization. Secondary analyses will explore the impact of methamphetamine use comorbidity
and sex on intervention treatment effects. The study team also plans to conduct an implementation process
assessment using novel mixed methods to understand the potential for sustainable implementation of
intervention elements. Data derived from this formative evaluation will be used to prepare for the presentation
of stud...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10205443
- **Project number:** 1R01DA051462-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Lauren K Whiteside
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $793,084
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10205443

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10205443, The Emergency Department Longitudinal Integrated Care (ED-LINC) Effectiveness Randomized Trial Targeting Opioid Use and Related Comorbidity from the ED (1R01DA051462-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10205443. Licensed CC0.

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