NCT03396276

Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System

Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES)

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 3,000 (estimated)
• Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The Houston Emergency Response Opioid Engagement System (HEROES) is a community-based research program integrating assertive outreach, medication-assisted treatment, behavioral counseling, peer recovery support, and paramedic follow-up in Houston Texas. The objective is to compare differences in engagement and retention in treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder.

Detailed description

The Houston Emergency Response Opioid Engagement System (HEROES) is a non-randomized cohort study based at the University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston. This study seeks to develop an emergency- initiated opioid system of care for individuals with prior opioid overdose and opioid use disorder. The study involves both assertive outreach on individuals who have recent overdoses within the last 72 hours, as well as individuals who are admitted to local hospital emergency departments. The study explores the effect of the combination of assertive outreach, same-day induction into medication-assisted treatment, ongoing maintenance treatment, behavioral counseling, peer recovery support, and paramedic follow-up on patient outcomes. The primary outcome is engagement and retention outpatient treatment. Secondary outcomes include quality of life assessment as well as subsequent relapses and overdoses. The hypothesis is that patients with earlier induction into MAT treatment in the emergency department, who receive routine follow-up, are more likely to engage and be retained in a longer-term treatment program for their addiction.

Conditions

• Opioid Use Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Suboxone	8mg of buprenorphine/2mg of naloxone
BEHAVIORAL	Brief counseling in the ED	Patients will receive brief counseling from ED physician prior to discharge about the options for outpatient treatment, as well as opioid dependency.Consented patients will be provided with a pamphlet from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration called "Facts About Buprenorphine", as well as an information packet for study contact information for the opioid recovery network providers.
BEHAVIORAL	Referral to outpatient treatment	A referral will be made to one of the affiliated MAT clinics.
BEHAVIORAL	Follow-up coaching	A designated paramedic with the Houston Fire Department (called the navigator or care coordinator) will work with UTHealth to jointly follow-up on patients both telephonically and in-person. The Houston Fire Department paramedic will provide brief information sharing and assist with coordination in scheduling or registering with MAT clinics or recovery coaching.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-04-01
• Primary completion: 2030-08-31
• Completion: 2030-08-31
• First posted: 2018-01-10
• Last updated: 2025-10-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study