An interventional study of SUN and SUN + Telebridge in Opioid Use Disorder, sponsored by RAND. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-19.
Sponsored by RAND · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
The ADAPT-ED study is a two-stage, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) to inform the development of an adaptive intervention that is optimally effective in increasing long-term buprenorphine use for adults presenting to the ED with probable opioid use disorder (OUD).
The ADAPT-ED study is a two-stage, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) to inform the development of an adaptive intervention that is optimally effective in increasing long-term buprenorphine use for adults presenting to the ED with probable OUD. The trial includes (1) two first stage components: the CA Bridge Model with Substance Use Navigator assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care (SUN) or CA Bridge plus immediate telehealth connection to an outpatient provider (SUN+TeleBridge); (2) a dynamic tailoring variable describing (non) response to the first stage: whether the patient has not filled an outpatient buprenorphine prescription at 30 days or whether the patient returns to the ED with an OUD-related event or self-reports non-adherence to buprenorphine within the first 90 days; (3) two second-stage components for non-responders; either ongoing buprenorphine treatment by an ED-based interim treatment team (ED-ITT) or ED-ITT augmented with behavioral health support (ED-ITT+BHS). First-stage responders will receive no further active intervention unless the participant returns to the ED or notifies the SUN about no longer taking buprenorphine within 90 days of study enrollment.
Hypothesis 1: The investigators hypothesize that the most intensive Adaptive Treatment Strategy (ATS) will lead to (a) more days of buprenorphine use and (b) a longer time to overdose, self-harm, or death compared to the least intensive ATS.
Hypothesis 2: The investigators hypothesize that (a) SUN+TeleBridge in the first stage of the ATS and (b) ED-ITT+BHS in the second stage of the ATS will each lead to more days of buprenorphine use and a longer time to overdose, self-harm, or death within the first 12 months compared to SUN and ED-ITT, respectively, and (c) there is a synergistic positive effect of receiving both SUN+TeleBridge and ED-ITT+BHS on days of buprenorphine use.
Hypothesis 3: The investigators hypothesize that the effect of SUN+TeleBridge versus SUN and the effect of ED-ITT+BHS versus ED-ITT among first stage non-responders will be larger among those with (a) a history of overdose at baseline and (b) co-occurring depression or PTSD at baseline relative to those who do not have either or those conditions.
1,412 studies on the registry are indexed under Opioid-Related Disorders; 290 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 500 is above the median of 63 across 1,124 interventional studies indexed under Opioid-Related Disorders.
Browse Opioid-Related Disorders studies →RAND is the lead sponsor of 110 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Inclusion Criteria:
In Arm A, participants are randomized to receive SUN-assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care. The patients are determined to be responders by 90 days and therefore receive no active follow up.
Behavioral: SUN
In Arm B, participants are randomized to receive SUN-assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care. The patients are determined to be non-responders within 90 days and are subsequently randomized into the ED-ITT condition to receive ongoing buprenorphine treatment by an ED-based interim treatment team.
Behavioral: SUN · Behavioral: ED-ITT
In Arm C, participants are randomized to receive SUN-assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care. The patients are determined to be non-responders within 90 days and are subsequently randomized into the ED-ITT + BHS condition to receive ongoing buprenorphine treatment by an ED-based interim treatment team augmented with a behavioral health consultant who will provide behavioral health support for up to 3 months.
Behavioral: SUN · Behavioral: ED-ITT + BHS
In Arm D, participants are randomized to receive SUN-assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care plus SUN-assisted immediate telehealth connection to an outpatient provider. The patients are determined to be responders by 90 days and therefore receive no active follow up.
Behavioral: SUN + Telebridge
In Arm E, participants are randomized to receive SUN-assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care plus SUN-assisted immediate telehealth connection to an outpatient provider. The patients are determined to be non-responders within 90 days and are subsequently randomized into the ED-ITT condition to receive ongoing buprenorphine treatment by an ED-based interim treatment team.
Behavioral: SUN + Telebridge · Behavioral: ED-ITT
In Arm F, participants are randomized to receive SUN-assisted treatment initiation and linkage to care plus SUN-assisted immediate telehealth connection to an outpatient provider. The patients are determined to be non-responders within 90 days and are subsequently randomized into the ED-ITT + BHS condition to receive ongoing buprenorphine treatment by an ED-based interim treatment team augmented with a behavioral health consultant who will provide behavioral health support for up to 3 months.
Behavioral: SUN + Telebridge · Behavioral: ED-ITT + BHS
The SUN helps patients initiate buprenorphine treatment in the hospital, connects patients to follow-up care by facilitating appointments at outpatient clinics, addresses barriers to care, and serves as a resource for patients and clinicians. The SUN also advocates for a harm-reduction culture, models respectful interactions with people who use drugs and provides technical assistance to hospital staff to reduce stigma and discrimination.
TeleBridge consists of an immediate telehealth connection to a buprenorphine provider affiliated with the CA Bridge program who has expertise facilitating pharmacotherapy with individuals with OUD. TeleBridge addresses barriers to initiation of buprenorphine by reducing long wait times and the inability of the outpatient setting to initiate treatment on demand. TeleBridge also eliminates the need for patients to meet system-level requirements (e.g. on time for appointments during working hours while wearing appropriate attire) to obtain follow-up care. TeleBridge is a more resource-intensive form of care because it involves developing formalized relationships with outpatient providers and implementing telehealth protocols. TeleBridge is feasible based on the increased use of telehealth to expand post-ED care pathways.
Enrolled patients who have not filled an outpatient buprenorphine (BUP) prescription at 30 days, return to the ED with an OUD-related event, or self-report nonadherence to the prescribed BUP are considered non-responders, and randomly assigned to a second stage intervention. For non-responders randomized to receive ongoing BUP treatment by an ED-based interim treatment team (ED-ITT), the SUN and Site PI (an ED physician with expertise in addiction medicine) will meet weekly to review the SUN's caseload, using a patient registry that has been modified for the trial. The registry: 1) prompts/documents proactive SUN outreach up to 3 additional months for non-responders, with an emphasis on prioritizing subsequent outreach to patients who have not yet engaged with outpatient care, or who are at risk of dropping out if the patient have transitioned; and 2) documents when the ED provider prescribes transitional BUP and when the patient would be due for a new prescription.
Enrolled patients who have not filled an outpatient buprenorphine (BUP) prescription at 30 days, return to the ED with an OUD-related event, or self-report to the SUN nonadherence to the prescribed BUP will be considered non-responders, and randomly assigned to a second stage intervention. For non-responders randomized to receive ongoing BUP treatment from the ED-ITT+BHS, Behavioral Health Support (BHS) will be added to ED-ITT and include a weekly caseload review with an externally-affiliated psychiatrist with expertise in addiction medicine who will make mental health and substance use treatment recommendations, both pharmacological and behavioral, to the ED provider and SUN for up to 3 months. The consultant may also ask the SUN to do a more detailed behavioral health assessment, if insufficient information is available to make treatment recommendations. All prescriptions will be written by the ED provider.
The number of days a buprenorphine prescription was filled in the 6 months after enrollment
Time frame: 6 months from date of enrollment
The time to a composite measure of overdose, suicide, self-harm and death
Time frame: 6 months from date of enrollment
Plan to share: No — All participant data will be destroyed in accordance with RAND Survey Research Group institutional policies (RAND SRG follows Federal guidelines, currently 7 years following study completion).
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
RAND