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Using AI and Peer Coaching to Address Racial Disparities Among People Who Use Opioids

Leveraging Social Determinants Via Artificial Intelligence and Peer Coaching to Address Racial Disparities in Primary Care Among People Who Use Opioids

Status
Terminated
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06569667
Enrollment
94
Registered
2024-08-26
Start date
2025-03-28
Completion date
2025-08-31
Last updated
2026-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Opioid Use Disorder

Keywords

Opioid Use Disorder, Peer Recovery Coach, AI-driven text tool, mobile health (mHealth)

Brief summary

Black and Latinx people who use opioids are disproportionately impacted by opioid overdose deaths. The proposed study assesses the efficacy of an open source, multimodal artificial intelligence-driven texting tool combined with peer recovery coach-supported text contact that delivers social services, stigma reduction, health habitus, and patient navigation content addressing social determinants of health to enhance receipt of buprenorphine in primary care among emergency department-enrolled Black / Latinx people who use opioids.

Detailed description

The investigators have validated a theory-driven, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven texting tool using natural language processing to facilitate real-time text responses to patient queries combined with automated texts facilitating receipt of buprenorphine in office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) and social services that address social determinants of health (SDH). This open-source texting tool offers passive reminders, informational content, and interactive two-way response algorithms without personal staff contact. In addition, the investigators have adapted an efficacious cultural and structural humility training for PRCs that goes beyond SDH to also address stigma reduction, discrimination, health habitus, and patient navigation to enhance uptake of primary care and social services for PWUO. Using a three-arm, comparative effectiveness trial design, the specific aims are to: (1) Assess the efficacy of PRC supported text-based care/services coordination with PWUO + AI-driven SDH-enhanced text messaging (intervention arm-1) vs. AI-driven SDH-enhanced text messaging only (intervention arm-2) vs. Treatment as Usual (TAU) or printed social/medical services referrals (control) to enhance the receipt of buprenorphine in OBOT among community and ED-enrolled Black / Latinx PWUO (N=252); (2) Evaluate the implementation of the multimodal intervention (arm-1) guided by the RE-AIM and CFIR frameworks using in-depth interviews among 3 stakeholder groups: (a) frontline providers (n=10); (b) administrators (n=10); and (c) a subset of the Black and Latinx PWUO from the multimodal intervention arm-1 (n=30); and (3) Identify the resources and estimate the associated cost of implementing and sustaining the multimodal intervention and incorporate this information into a customizable budget-impact tool and conduct a comprehensive economic evaluation to calculate the relative economic value (e.g., cost-per quality-adjusted life years, cost-per OUD treatment days) of each study arm from the healthcare sector, state policymaker, and societal perspectives which will also inform implementation framed by RE-AIM.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALPRC supported text + AI driven SDH-enhanced text

This interventional study evaluates an AI-driven texting tool combined with peer recovery coach support to deliver social services, reduce stigma, and provide patient navigation content. The goal is to enhance the receipt of buprenorphine in primary care among emergency department-enrolled Black and Latinx individuals who use opioids, addressing the disproportionate impact of opioid overdose deaths on these communities.

BEHAVIORALAI driven SDH-enhanced text only

This interventional study evaluates an AI-driven SDH-enhanced texting tool to deliver social services, reduce stigma, and provide patient navigation content. The goal is to enhance the receipt of buprenorphine in primary care among emergency department-enrolled Black and Latinx individuals who use opioids, addressing the disproportionate impact of opioid overdose deaths on these communities.

BEHAVIORALTreatment as Usual (TAU)

Control Arm-3 will receive treatment as usual (i.e., verbal instructions, NYC Dept of Health pamphlets detailing access to OUD and social services, health system smartphone application EMR patient portal).

Sponsors

Friends Research Institute, Inc.
Lead SponsorOTHER
Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
CollaboratorOTHER
NYU Langone Health
CollaboratorOTHER
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. ≥18 years of age; 2. fluent in English and/or Spanish; 3. self-reported non-prescription opioid use \<30 days prior to consent; 4. provision of informed consent; 5. planned stay in NYC ≥12 month; 6. self-identified Black and/or Latinx race/ethnicity; 7. positive urine toxicology for opioids per EMR records; 8. diagnosis of OUD per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 9. self-reported interest in initiating buprenorphine in primary care 10. must have a mobile phone data plan.

Exclusion criteria

1. inability to comprehend text content written at a 3rd grade reading level; 2. physical or visual disability preventing mobile phone use; 3. self-reported receipt of medications for OUD in past 30 days.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Rate of self-reported linkage to OUD services1 yearThe primary outcome for this efficacy study is self-reported linkage to OUD services (i.e., time to initial buprenorphine prescription that is prescribed in OBOT programs or other OUD treatment providers per the Non-study Medical and Other Services form.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Office-Based Opioid Treatment with buprenorphine.1 yearDurability of treatment effect at 52 weeks. For example, continuous retention in Office-Based Opioid Treatment with buprenorphine.
Number of social services received1 yearTotal number of social services received and documented over 52 weeks.
Number of interactions and time spent (in minutes) engaged with the intervention26 weeksTotal number of interactions and time spent (in minutes) engaged with the intervention over 26 weeks

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBabak Tofighi, MSc, MD

Friends Research Institute, Inc.

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 9, 2026