From Workforce Diversity to Key Cultural Competency Strategies to End Racial Disparities in Opioid Treatment Outcomes Across the Nation

Texas A&M University, College Station TX

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

ABSTRACT In response to PAR-18-747, Addressing the Challenges of the Opioid Epidemic in Minority Health and Health Disparities Research in the U.S. (R01), this study seeks to determine the role of staff capability and quality to improve treatment access, engagement, and medication- assisted treatment (MAT) maintenance dosage, i.e., methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone for African-American and Hispanic populations in opioid treatment programs (OTP) nationwide. The study will rely on the National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS), which is a unique, nationally representative longitudinal data (2005-2017); the study also will collect two waves of new data in 2023 and 2025 to assess the effect of standards of care on OTP process measures [wait time, retention, and adequate MAT dosages). The study seeks to improve measurement of standards of care using a gold standard instrument - the Organizational Assessment (COA360) and assess its predictive validity on process measures in 2023 and 2025. Findings will inform treatment programs’ use of quality-of-care strategies to improve OTP wait time, retention and adequate dosage, and with these efforts reduce racial/ethnic disparities in opioid use disorder treatment. Policymakers will be able to make decisions about how to allocate scarce resources needed to address the opioid epidemic.