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Harrison JM, Stein BD, Loch SF, Lorch SA, Patrick SW. Hospital Quality Indicators for Opioid-Exposed Infants: Results From an Expert Consensus Panel. Pediatrics 2024:e2024065721. [PMID: 38853654 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-065721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To elicit expert consensus on quality indicators for the hospital-based care of opioid-exposed infants. METHODS We used the ExpertLens online platform to conduct a 3-round modified Delphi panel. Expert panelists included health care providers, parents in recovery, quality experts, and public health experts. We identified 49 candidate quality indicators from a literature review and environmental scan. A total of 32 experts rated the importance and feasibility of the indicators using a 9-point Likert scale (Round 1), reviewed and discussed the initial ratings (round 2), and revised their original ratings (Round 3). Numeric scores corresponded with descriptive ratings of "low" (1-3), "uncertain" (4-6), or "high" (7-9). We measured consensus using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. RESULTS Candidate quality indicators assessed structures, processes, and outcomes in multiple domains of clinical care. After the final round, 36 indicators were rated "high" on importance and feasibility. Experts had strong consensus on the importance of quality indicators to assess universal screening of pregnant people for substance use disorder, hospital staff training, standardized assessment for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, nonpharmacologic interventions, and transitions of care. For indicators focused on processes and outcomes, experts saw feasibility as dependent on the information routinely documented in electronic medical records or billing records. To present a more complete picture of hospital quality, experts suggested development of composite measures that summarize quality across multiple indicators. CONCLUSIONS A panel of experts reached consensus on a range of quality indicators for hospital-based care of opioid-exposed infants, with potential for use in national benchmarking, intervention studies, or hospital performance measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bradley D Stein
- RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Scott A Lorch
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Stephen W Patrick
- RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology
- Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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Grant S, Smart R. ROMPER: The RAND/USC OPTIC Method for Policy Expert Ratings. MethodsX 2024; 12:102751. [PMID: 38799036 PMCID: PMC11127521 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
We developed an expert panel approach for identifying expert views on the effectiveness and implementability of population-level policy interventions. ROMPER-the RAND/USC OPTIC Method for Policy Expert Ratings-involves an online, three-round, modified-Delphi process:•Experts rate and comment on policies according to domains of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence-to-Decision framework.•To identify consensus on policy effectiveness and implementability, expert ratings are analyzed using the Inter-Percentile Range Adjusted for Symmetry (IPRAS) technique from the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and visualized using a forest plot. To explain consensus, expert comments are analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and reported following the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research.•To provide actionable information for decisionmakers, each policy is summarized in a "Policy Profile" adapted from GRADEPro Evidence-to-Decision tables.We validated ROMPER in two studies that successfully recruited the targeted sample size, retained experts through all three rounds, and examined consensus on which policies are (not) effective and implementable. ROMPER protocols, materials, data, and code are openly available on the Open Science Framework with Creative Commons licensing for replication and reuse. ROMPER provides a validated, replicable, open access approach for eliciting expert views on both policy effectiveness and implementability-and for summarizing (lack of) consensus specifically for policymakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Grant
- RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
- HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice, College of Education, University of Oregon, 1215 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1215, USA
| | - Rosanna Smart
- RAND Corporation, 1776 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
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Incze MA, Huebler S, Grant S, Gordon AJ. Using the Delphi Process to Prioritize an Agenda for Care Transition Research for Patients With Substance Use Disorders. SUBSTANCE USE & ADDICTION JOURNAL 2024:29767342241246762. [PMID: 38622904 DOI: 10.1177/29767342241246762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Medical hospitalizations are increasingly recognized as important opportunities to engage individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) and offer treatment. While a growing number of hospitals have instituted interventions to support the provision of SUD care during medical admissions, post-hospitalization transitions of care remain a challenge for patients and clinicians and an understudied area of SUD care. Evidence is lacking on the most effective and feasible models of care to improve post-hospitalization care transitions for people with SUD. In the absence of strong empirical evidence to guide practice and policy, consensus-based research methods such as the Delphi process can play an important role in efficiently prioritizing existing models of care for future study and implementation. We conducted a Delphi study that convened a group of 25 national interdisciplinary experts with direct clinical experience facilitating post-hospitalization care transitions for people with SUD. Our panelists rated 10 existing care transition models according to anticipated effectiveness and facility of implementation based on the GRADE Evidence to Decision framework. Qualitative data on each care model were also gathered through comments and an online moderated discussion board. Our results help establish a hierarchy of SUD care transition models to inform future study and program development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Incze
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA), Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sophia Huebler
- Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA), Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Adam J Gordon
- Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA), Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Bohler RM, Freeman PR, Villani J, Hunt T, Linas BS, Walley AY, Green TC, Lofwall MR, Bridden C, Frazier LA, Fanucchi LC, Talbert JC, Chandler R. The policy landscape for naloxone distribution in four states highly impacted by fatal opioid overdoses. DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE REPORTS 2023; 6:100126. [PMID: 36643788 PMCID: PMC9838196 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Expanding access to naloxone is one of the most impactful interventions in decreasing opioid-related mortality. However, state distribution rates of naloxone are insufficient to meet community need. The current study sought to better understand this gap by focusing on state policies that may facilitate or impede naloxone distribution in four states highly impacted by fatal opioid overdoses - Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Methods We provide a descriptive analysis of the policy landscape impacting naloxone distribution through pharmacy and community channels in the four states participating in the HEALing Communities Study (HCS). Publicly available data and the expertise of the research team were used to describe each state's naloxone access laws (NALs), Medicaid coverage of naloxone, and community overdose education and naloxone distribution infrastructure. Data presented in this study represent the most current policy landscape through September 2022. Results Variation exists between specific components of the NALs of each state, the structure of Medicaid coverage of naloxone, and the community distribution infrastructure networks. Massachusetts and New York have a statewide standing order, but other states use different strategies short of a statewide standing order to expand access to naloxone. Quantity limits specific to naloxone may limit access to Medicaid beneficiaries in some states. Conclusion States participating in the HCS have developed innovative but different mechanisms to ensure naloxone access. Policies were dynamic and moved towards greater access. Research should consider the policy landscape in the implementation and sustainability of interventions as well as the analysis of outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Bohler
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, United States,Corresponding author. (R.M. Bohler)
| | - Patricia R. Freeman
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jennifer Villani
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Tim Hunt
- School of Social Work, Social Intervention Group (SIG), Center for Healing of Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders (CHOSEN), Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Beth S. Linas
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Alexander Y. Walley
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Traci C. Green
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, United States
| | - Michelle R. Lofwall
- Departments of Behavioral Science and Psychiatry, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Carly Bridden
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lisa A. Frazier
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Laura C. Fanucchi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jeffery C. Talbert
- Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Redonna Chandler
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Smart R, Grant S, Gordon AJ, Pacula RL, Stein BD. Expert Panel Consensus on State-Level Policies to Improve Engagement and Retention in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. JAMA HEALTH FORUM 2022; 3:e223285. [PMID: 36218944 PMCID: PMC10041351 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.3285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance In the US, recent legislation and regulations have been considered, proposed, and implemented to improve the quality of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). However, insufficient empirical evidence exists to identify which policies are feasible to implement and successfully improve patient and population-level outcomes. Objective To examine expert consensus on the effectiveness and the ability to implement state-level OUD treatment policies. Evidence Review This qualitative study used the ExpertLens online platform to conduct a 3-round modified Delphi process to convene 66 stakeholders (health care clinicians, social service practitioners, addiction researchers, health policy decision-makers, policy advocates, and persons with lived experience). Stakeholders participated in 1 of 2 expert panels on 14 hypothetical state-level policies targeting treatment engagement and linkage, evidence-based and integrated care, treatment flexibility, and monitoring or support services. Participants rated policies in round 1, discussed results in round 2, and provided final ratings in round 3. Participants used 4 criteria associated with either the effectiveness or implementability to rate and discuss each policy. The effectiveness panel (n = 29) considered policy effects on treatment engagement, treatment retention, OUD remission, and opioid overdose mortality. The implementation panel (n = 34) considered the acceptability, feasibility, affordability, and equitability of each policy. We measured consensus using the interpercentile range adjusted for symmetry analysis technique from the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method. Findings Both panels reached consensus on all items. Experts viewed 2 policies (facilitated access to medications for OUD and automatic Medicaid enrollment for citizens returning from correctional settings) as highly implementable and highly effective in improving patient and population-level outcomes. Participants rated hub-and-spoke-type policies and provision of financial incentives to emergency departments for treatment linkage as effective; however, they also rated these policies as facing implementation barriers associated with feasibility and affordability. Coercive policies and policies levying additional requirements on individuals with OUD receiving treatment (eg, drug toxicology testing, counseling requirements) were viewed as low-value policies (ie, decreasing treatment engagement and retention, increasing overdose mortality, and increasing health inequities). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study may provide urgently needed consensus on policies for states to consider either adopting or deimplementing in their efforts to address the opioid overdose crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna Smart
- Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California.,Drug Policy Research Center, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
| | - Sean Grant
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis
| | - Adam J Gordon
- Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge and Advocacy, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City.,Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Rosalie Liccardo Pacula
- Sol Price School of Public Policy and Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Bradley D Stein
- Behavioral and Policy Sciences Department, RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Ferguson M, Medley A, Rittenbach K, Brothers TD, Strike C, Ng J, Leece P, Elton-Marshall T, Ali F, Lorenzetti DL, Buxton JA. Priority setting for Canadian Take-Home Naloxone best practice guideline development: an adapted online Delphi method. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:71. [PMID: 35780136 PMCID: PMC9250272 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00650-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Take-Home Naloxone (THN) is a core intervention aimed at addressing the toxic illicit opioid drug supply crisis. Although THN programs are available in all provinces and territories throughout Canada, there are currently no standardized guidelines for THN programs. The Delphi method is a tool for consensus building often used in policy development that allows for engagement of stakeholders. METHODS We used an adapted anonymous online Delphi method to elicit priorities for a Canadian guideline on THN as a means of facilitating meaningful stakeholder engagement. A guideline development group generated a series of key questions that were then brought to a 15-member voting panel. The voting panel was comprised of people with lived and living experience of substance use, academics specializing in harm reduction, and clinicians and public health professionals from across Canada. Two rounds of voting were undertaken to score questions on importance for inclusion in the guideline. RESULTS Nine questions that were identified as most important include what equipment should be in THN kits, whether there are important differences between intramuscular and intranasal naloxone administration, how stigma impacts access to distribution programs, how effective THN programs are at saving lives, what distribution models are most effective and equitable, storage considerations for naloxone in a community setting, the role of CPR and rescue breathing in overdose response, client preference of naloxone distribution program type, and what aftercare should be provided for people who respond to overdoses. CONCLUSIONS The Delphi method is an equitable consensus building process that generated priorities to guide guideline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Ferguson
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Andrea Medley
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Katherine Rittenbach
- Alberta Health Services (AHS), Edmonton, AB, Canada.,University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Thomas D Brothers
- Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Carol Strike
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Justin Ng
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Pamela Leece
- Public Health Ontario (PHO), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tara Elton-Marshall
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute of Mental Health Policy Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Farihah Ali
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Institute of Mental Health Policy Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jane A Buxton
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada. .,School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Grant S, Smart R. Expert views on state-level naloxone access laws: a qualitative analysis of an online modified-Delphi process. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:64. [PMID: 35676719 PMCID: PMC9175531 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00645-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Expanding availability to naloxone is a core harm reduction strategy in efforts to address the opioid epidemic. In the US, state-level legislation is a prominent mechanism to expand naloxone availability through various venues, such as community pharmacies. This qualitative study aimed to identify and summarize the views of experts on state-level naloxone access laws. Methods We conducted a three-round modified-Delphi process using the online ExpertLens platform. Participants included 46 key stakeholders representing various groups (advocates, healthcare providers, human/social service practitioners, policymakers, and researchers) with expertise naloxone access laws. Participants commented on the effectiveness and implementability of 15 state-level naloxone access laws (NALs). We thematically analyzed participant comments to summarize views on NALs overall and specific types of NAL. Results Participants commented that the effectiveness of NALs in reducing opioid-related mortality depends on their ability to make sustained, significant impacts on population-level naloxone availability. Participants generally believed that increased naloxone availability does not have appreciable negative impacts on the prevalence of opioid misuse, opioid use disorder (OUD), and non-fatal opioid overdoses. Implementation barriers include stigma among the general public, affordability of naloxone, and reliance on an inequitable healthcare system. Conclusions Experts believe NALs that significantly increase naloxone access are associated with less overdose mortality without risking substantial unintended public health outcomes. To maximize impacts, high-value NALs should explicitly counter existing healthcare system inequities, address stigmatization of opioid use and naloxone, maintain reasonable prices for purchasing naloxone, and target settings beyond community pharmacies to distribute naloxone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Grant
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, 1050 Wishard Blvd, RG 6046, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
| | - Rosanna Smart
- Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, USA
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