An observational study in Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Opioid Use Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), sponsored by Ohio State University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-15.
Sponsored by Ohio State University · Observational
This prospective observational study evaluates three Disease Intervention Specialist service models designed to proactively identify and support adults at risk for substance use disorder. The models include substance use screening, motivational interviewing, case management, treatment referral, and optional peer support. The study will compare participant outcomes across the service models, including substance use severity, treatment engagement, overdose, service utilization, and satisfaction.
There is a critical need to intervene with individuals affected by substance use disorder (SUD) earlier in their trajectory, even before they present to a location where screening or care could be possible. Rapid diagnosis and linkage to treatment (secondary prevention) is a cornerstone of any epidemic response but often very delayed for SUD. For communicable infectious diseases (ID), health departments employ disease intervention specialists (DIS) skilled in outreach to underserved and disproportionately affected populations identified via social contacts, who once located, disclose their own contacts, yielding "snowball" chain-referral for the most direct, rapid, and proactive approach to identify affected, but undetected, populations. SUD also exists within social networks and substance exposure spreads like contagion, but the DIS paradigm has not been adapted to the problem of SUD. We will (AIM 1): Develop and implement promising operational models for adapting the conventional ID DIS model to provide secondary SUD prevention: In close collaboration with health department partners, we will create three service models: 1) Overlay of SUD intervention on current ID DIS: systematically screen clients (already being identified by ID diagnosis or exposure) for concurrent SUD; 2) SUD DIS: SUD specific DIS elicit social contacts with potential SUD from index clients with SUD who are identified in collaboration with other local service agencies; and 3) SUD DIS with peer-support: Peers embedded with the SUD DIS team. Model 1 will be operated separately from the SUD DIS program. In all 3 models, DIS will provide secondary prevention to those SUD screen+ (i.e., high risk score on NIDA-Modified ASSIST) and not already in care. (AIM 2): Rigorously evaluate models for incorporating SUD prevention into DIS programs. We will compare program-level outcomes using (i) data from DIS records, (ii) summary intake counts from regional SUD treatment centers, (iii) time and motion observations of DIS activities, and (iv) qualitative interviews with stakeholders (clients and staff) about the DIS program. We will also prospectively observe clients (n=400 each DIS program, for total n=1200) receiving DIS intervention who consent to research to enable comparison of the effectiveness of SUD secondary prevention provided by the different DIS program models. Assessment: Self-report at baseline (0),1, and 6 months, complemented by review of health records (via release of information) and vital statistics (i.e., mortality). Primary Outcome: severity of drug use at 6 months post initial DIS interview. Key Secondary Outcomes: participant characteristics; healthcare/service utilization; alcohol use; and overdose. This innovative, high-impact investigation will be the first to use this well-established public health approach, capitalizing on social networks, to offer early and more specifically targeted secondary prevention for SUD. Results will vastly improve public health practice, program planning, policy, and future intervention.
2,181 studies on the registry are indexed under Substance-Related Disorders; 399 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 1,200 is above the median of 250 across 307 observational studies indexed under Substance-Related Disorders.
Browse Substance-Related Disorders studies →Ohio State University is the lead sponsor of 658 studies on the registry; 145 are open to participants now.
Of its 66 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 49 (74%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Participants receive services through an existing infectious disease DIS program in which substance use disorder (SUD) screening, motivational interviewing, case management, referral to treatment, and social network outreach are integrated into routine infectious disease investigation activities.
Participants receive services through a DIS program dedicated specifically to substance use disorder prevention and intervention. Services include SUD screening, motivational interviewing, case management, referral to treatment providers, and social network-based outreach.
Participants receive the same SUD-focused DIS intervention as Model 2, with the addition of trained peer support specialists. Peer navigators assist with outreach, rapport building, appointment support, treatment navigation, reminders, and overcoming barriers to care.
Severity of Drug Use
Change in substance use severity among participants receiving DIS-based SUD interventions -substance use severity will be assessed using the NIDA-Modified ASSIST (NM-ASSIST)
Time frame: 6 months post initial DIS interview
Linkage to Substance Use Disorder Treatment
After DIS based intervention, the number of participants who initiate treatment with SUD treatment provider -assessed through study self-report follow-up survey and referral tracking records
Time frame: Within 3 months of initial DIS interview
Retention in SUD treatment
Participants who remain engaged in SUD treatment services following successful linkage to care -self reported treatment services utilization and treatment engagement records
Time frame: 6 months after initial DIS interview
Number of Social Contacts Elicited per Index Participant
Count of social contacts (number of named individuals) elicited from each index participant during DIS contact elicitation interviews. Unit of measure: number of contacts per index participant. -Measured by abstraction of DIS social network and case management records documenting elicited contacts
Time frame: During DIS intervention period (up to 3 months)
Number of Healthcare and Substance Use Treatment Encounters
Number of self-reported healthcare and SUD treatment encounters, including emergency department visits, hospital admissions, outpatient medical visits, and SUD treatment visits, reported for the follow-up period. Unit of measure: number of encounters per participant in each category. -Measured using a study-developed healthcare utilization questionnaire administered at the 1-month and 6-month follow-up surveys, with verification by health record review as available
Time frame: From baseline through 6 months post-initial DIS interview
Percentage of Participants Attending at Least One SUD Treatment Visit
Percentage of participants who attend at least one substance use disorder treatment visit during follow-up, compared between participants receiving SUD DIS services with embedded peer support (Model 3) and those receiving SUD DIS services without peer support (Model 2). Unit of measure: percentage of participants. -Measured by self-report at follow-up and treatment engagement records
Time frame: 6 months post-initial DIS interview
Plan to share: Undecided
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