# Optimized Interventions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Emergency Department

> **NIH NIH UH3** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $584,850

## Abstract

Project Summary
 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data show that past-year prescription opioid use
(i.e., pain relievers) in 2019 for older adolescents and young adults (AYAs) was: 19.7% (ages 16-17), 24.8%
(ages 18-25), and 28.2% (ages 26-29), whereas past-year opioid misuse (prescription+illicit) rates were: 3.4%
(ages 16-17), 5.3% (ages 18-25), and 5.8% (ages 26-29). Thus, use of opioids by AYAs (ages 16-30) is a
public health concern requiring scalable and sustainable strategies to prevent opioid misuse and opioid use
disorders (OUDs), and prevention approaches implemented in health systems have the potential to alter risk
trajectories. In this supplement, “opioid” misuse includes prescription opioids (without a prescription, more than
prescribed, or for reasons other than prescribed) and use of illicit opioids (e.g., heroin, fentanyl analogs). This
supplement request is directly responsive to NS-21-025 by requesting support to increase participant diversity
and inclusion in our ongoing HEAL Prevention Initiative-funded randomized controlled trial (RCT) to
technology-driven prevention interventions. The NSDUH data show that past-year prescription opioid use and
misuse rates are concerning among Black/African American AYAs. Further, Black/African Americans are
historically under-represented in prevention research and clinical trials, but, given racial disparities in OUD
treatment access, it is critical to fully engage these populations. Thus, we propose two aims related to our
RCT: 1) Increase outreach to enhance inclusion of AYAs who identify as Black/African American, permitting
meaningful analyses of moderators (enrolling ~N = 110 additional AYAs), and 2) Enhance inclusion in our
implementation aim by conducting in-depth interviews (IDIs) with Black/African American participants after
follow-up (N =20) to identify: a) barriers/facilitators to future implementation of interventions for this sub-
population, and b) aspects of the recruitment/intervention delivery that were perceived by participants as
engaging and/or helpful or recommendations for modifications to increase appeal and helpfulness. Thus,
greater involvement of Black/African American AYAs in this RCT will enhance the generalizability and cultural
relevance of the interventions for planned dissemination. Qualitative methods will inform vignettes of patient
journeys that characterize their experiences (from the Emergency Department touchpoint through intervention
delivery) and outcomes for dissemination at HEAL meetings and in our implementation toolkit. By
supplementing current efforts, we are poised to have a greater impact on the problem of opioid misuse and
OUD through enhanced inclusion of under-represented individuals. Our use of electronic health record-
facilitated recruitment and IDIs to inform our implementation toolkit are key innovations that support future
integration of our technology-driven prevention interventions in healthcare systems.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10397259
- **Project number:** 3UH3DA050173-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Erin E. Bonar
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $584,850
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10397259

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10397259, Optimized Interventions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Emergency Department (3UH3DA050173-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10397259. Licensed CC0.

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