# Mobile health strategies to support longitudinal engagement in harm reduction services

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2022 · $2,100,905

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
In response to RFA-DA-22-046, HEAL Initiative: Harm Reduction Policies, Practices, and Modes of Delivery for
Persons with Substance Use Disorders, we will conduct a 5-year, community-engaged research project that
aims to extend and enhance the delivery of harm reduction services to hard-to-reach people who use opioids
and/or stimulants, to reduce their risk of fatal and nonfatal overdose. The main objective of this research is to
design, and pilot test a mobile health (mHealth) intervention comprised of a bundle of internet and mobile
phone-based tools for reducing overdose risk. We will build upon a productive research partnership with an
established, comprehensive syringe services program operating in 10 cities in Wisconsin to pursue 3 specific
aims. First, using a prospective cohort study design and several innovative methods for capturing harm-
reduction service engagement, psychosocial variables, and behavioral outcomes, we will characterize the most
important mechanisms through which harm reduction influences overdose risk behaviors. Second, we will
study the role of harm reduction service engagement in linking clients to sources of health care and addiction
treatment services, making novel use of linkages between administrative datasets in partnership with state
government agencies. Third, we will convene a Community Leadership Team consisting of people who use
opioids and/or stimulants, and collaboratively synthesize our research findings to inform the development and
implementation of an innovative strategy for engaging clients who face barriers to accessing harm reduction
services. The community engagement activities will culminate in a single-arm pilot intervention trial that
evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of a suite of internet and smartphone-based tools designed to
improve access to safer drug use behaviors and equipment, fill knowledge gaps, and deliver social support
through connection to trusted peer networks. This research is guided by the central harm reduction principle of
ensuring that people who use drugs have a real voice in the creation of programs designed to serve them. It
will generate a robust understanding of the important mechanisms through which harm reduction services
reduce overdose risk, and test promising strategies for extending their reach to under-served clients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10590481
- **Project number:** 1R01DA057645-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Rachel Eleanor Gicquelais
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $2,100,905
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-30 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10590481

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10590481, Mobile health strategies to support longitudinal engagement in harm reduction services (1R01DA057645-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10590481. Licensed CC0.

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