# The Ohio Valley Node of the Clinical Trials Network

> **NIH NIH UG1** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2022 · $378,965

## Abstract

PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), such as methadone, buprenorphine (with or
without naloxone), and extended-release naltrexone, have been shown to reduce overdoses
and drug use. However, MOUD retention is essential to attaining these outcomes.
Unfortunately, only 50% or less of patients remain on MOUD 6 months after initiating treatment,
a minimum standard established by the National Quality Forum. One possible approach to
improving retention would be using patient characteristics to select the MOUD with which
patients are most likely to be successful. This study will utilize VHA data sets to identify patient
characteristics associated with improved MOUD retention by MOUD type as well as patient
characteristics associated with successful MOUD discontinuation without relapse. We will use a
retrospective cohort design using the International Classification of Disease, 9th and 10th edition
(ICD-9/10-CM) codes to operationalize OUD since the years of data used for this study cross
over the time of ICD-10 implementation (2015). Aim 1 is to identify patient characteristics
associated with MOUD retention and opioid overdose death by MOUD type. Our primary
outcome for Aim 1 will be a binary measure of retention defined as continuous coverage with
the type of MOUD the patient originally initiated for 180 days after the index date without a 28-
day gap in treatment. Secondary outcome measures will include (1) a binary measure of
retention similar to the primary outcome but over the 365 days after the index date and (2)
opioid overdose death in the 365 days after the index date using the VHA Mortality Data
Repository. Aim 2 is to quantify the association between probability of relapse after MOUD
discontinuation and both length of MOUD therapy and patient characteristics. The outcome for
Aim 2 will be discontinuation with vs. without relapse.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10652032
- **Project number:** 3UG1DA013732-23S3
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** T John WINHUSEN
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $378,965
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10652032

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10652032, The Ohio Valley Node of the Clinical Trials Network (3UG1DA013732-23S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10652032. Licensed CC0.

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