Clinical Decision Support to Increase Use of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) in the form of an alert to identify patients who may be at risk of opioid use disorder (OUD) and a clinical care pathway helping providers treating patients with opioid use disorder. The pathway provides health care providers with information and suggestions for screening and treatment of opioid use disorder, including treatment with medications. The 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain recommends providers asses for and treat opioid use disorder using approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). This project will randomize primary care providers at the clinic level to a control arm or intervention arm. The control arm will have access to the clinical care pathway, but will not be reminded to utilize the pathway when treating a patient with opioid use disorder. The intervention arm will receive a reminder nudge about the pathway. Buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder) prescribing behavior of providers and outcomes of patients will be examined based on medical records data collected during routine care. The study period will be approximately 18 months.