Peer Intervention to Link Overdose Survivors to Treatment (PILOT): Protocol for a Multisite, Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted Within the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network
Authors: Papa Carrie , McClure Erin A , McCauley Jenna , Haynes Louise , Matheson Timothy , Jones Richard , Jennings Lindsey , Lawdahl Tricia , Ward Ralph , Brady Kathleen , Barth Kelly Stephenson 
Published: July 2024

Background

The increase in opioid-related overdoses has caused a decrease in average life expectancy, highlighting the need for effective interventions to reduce overdose risk and prevent subsequent overdoses. Peer support specialists (PSSs) offer an appealing strategy to engage overdose survivors and reduce overdose risk, but randomized controlled trials are needed to formalize peer-led interventions and evaluate their effectiveness.

Objective

This National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study is a multisite, prospective, pilot randomized (1:1) controlled trial (CTN protocol 0107) that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an emergency department (ED)–initiated, peer-delivered intervention tailored for opioid overdose survivors (Peer Intervention to Link Overdose survivors to Treatment [PILOT]), compared with treatment as usual (TAU).

Methods

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the 6-month, PSS-led PILOT intervention compared with TAU on the primary outcome of reducing overdose risk behavior 6 months after enrollment. Adults (aged ≥18 years; N=150) with a recent opioid-related overdose were identified and approached in the ED. Participants were screened and enrolled, either in the ED or within 7 days of ED discharge at research offices or in the community and then asked to complete study visits at months 1, 3, 6 (end of intervention), and 7 (follow-up). Participants were enrolled at 3 study sites in the United States: Greenville, South Carolina; Youngstown, Ohio; and Everett, Washington. Participants randomized to the PILOT intervention received a 6-month, PSS-led intervention tailored to each participant’s goals to reduce their overdose risk behavior (eg, overdose harm reduction, housing, medical, and substance use treatment or recovery goals). Participants randomized to TAU received standard-of-care overdose materials, education, and services provided through the participating EDs. This paper describes the study protocol and procedures, explains the design and inclusion and exclusion decisions, and provides details of the peer-led PILOT intervention and supervision of PILOT PSSs.

Results

Study enrollment opened in December 2021 and was closed in July 2023. A total of 150 participants across 3 sites were enrolled in the study, meeting the proposed sample size for the trial. Primary and secondary analyses are underway and expected to be published in early 2025.

Conclusions

There is an urgent need to better understand the characteristics of overdose survivors presenting to the ED and for rigorous trials evaluating the effectiveness of PSS-led interventions on engaging overdose survivors and reducing overdose risk. Results from this pilot randomized controlled trial will provide a description of the characteristics of overdose survivors presenting to the ED; outline the implementation of PSS services research in ED settings, including PSS implementation of PSS supervision and activity tracking; and inform ED-initiated PSS-led overdose risk reduction interventions and future research to better understand the implementation and efficacy of these interventions.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05123027; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05123027

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/60277