Implementing Contingency Management for Stimulant Use in Specialty Addiction Treatment Organizations

Stimulants constitute a new and deadly fourth wave of the opioid epidemic. Contingency management is the most effective intervention for stimulant use and is an evidence-based adjunct to medication for opioid use disorder. Yet, uptake of contingency management in opioid treatment programs that provide medication for opioid use disorder remains low; in fact, access to contingency management is arguably one of the greatest research-to-practice gaps in the addiction treatment services field. The goal of this study is to conduct a type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial to evaluate a multi-level implementation strategy, the Science of Service Laboratory, to install contingency management for stimulant use in opioid treatment programs. The Science of Service Laboratory has three core components: didactic training, performance feedback, and external facilitation. Utilizing a stepped wedge design, a regional cohort of 10 public sector opioid treatment programs will be randomized to receive Science of Service Laboratory at five distinct time points. At six intervals, each of the 10 opioid treatment programs will provide de-identified electronic medical record data from all available patient charts on contingency management delivery and patient outcomes. Staff from each opioid treatment program will provide feedback on contextual determinants influencing implementation. This study will rigorously evaluate whether a multi-level implementation strategy developed by one of the longest-standing national intermediary purveyor organizations-the SAMHSA Technology Transfer Centers, will improve both implementation and patient outcomes.

Stimulant use among persons with opioid use disorder is associated with an array of serious consequences. Among those with opioid use disorder, stimulant use has been associated with more persistent opioid use; higher risk of HIV infection; higher levels of family, medical, legal, and vocational problems; and increased risk of fatal overdose. Contingency management is an evidence-based intervention for stimulant use and an evidence-based adjunct to medication for opioid use disorders. Medication for opioid use disorder is the first-line, evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder, but does not specifically reduce stimulant use, and there are not yet efficacious medications for stimulant addiction. Moreover, individuals who continue to use stimulants while receiving medication for opioid use disorder have worse treatment response in terms of both retention and abstinence from opioids. Contingency management targets stimulant use via reinforcing incentives for attaining abstinence. Despite an abundance of research evidence, contingency management uptake in opioid treatment programs remains low due to barriers at both the provider- and organizational-levels. Effectively addressing the contingency management evidence-to-practice gap could advance both the field of implementation science and the quality of care in specialty addiction treatment settings. This project evaluates a multi-level implementation strategy, the Science to Service Laboratory, to install contingency management for stimulant use in opioid treatment programs. The Science of Service Laboratory employs three core components: didactic training; performance feedback; and external facilitation. Utilizing a fully powered type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial with a stepped wedge design, we will randomize a cohort of 10 public sector opioid treatment programs in New England to receive the Science of Service Laboratory at five time points. Data collection will leverage multiple sources. At six intervals, each of the 10 opioid treatment programs will extract de-identified electronic medical record data on contingency management implementation and patient outcomes. In addition, opioid treatment program staff will report on contextual determinants of implementation. Results will evaluate whether a multi-level implementation strategy initially developed by one of the longest-standing intermediary purveyor organizations (SAMHSA Technology Transfer Centers), will improve implementation and patient outcomes. In addition, the project will ensure equitable service provision to diverse, high-risk patients while advancing implementation science via specification and evaluation of contextual determinants. The Specific Aims and corresponding hypotheses are: Specific Aim 1: To test the effectiveness of the Science of Service Laboratory on implementation outcomes, including contingency management Reach, Adoption, and Implementation. Specific Aim 2: To test the effectiveness of the Science of Service Laboratory on patient outcomes, including: Stimulant Abstinence and Treatment Retention.