November / December 2023

Seek first to understand, then incorporate what you learn

The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on communities throughout the United States. Key highlights from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reveal that 17% of the population has a substance use disorder (SUD), but only 24% of those who need treatment receive it. An incredible 95% of those with SUD who are not receiving treatment do not feel they need it. As an emergency physician, I care for people every day who suffer from SUD. Although this is an area which I am passionate about, I frequently have patients deny they have a substance use problem and decline referrals to treatment. We are fortunate in the University of Cincinnati Emergency Department to have the Early Intervention Program and a dedicated Substance Use Disorder team to further explore risks, readiness to enter into treatment, deliver harm reduction and education, and provide linkage to services. Staff from these teams employ motivational interviewing and include peer recovery specialists with lived SUD experience who truly understand what patients are experiencing and are often able to break through to patients in a way that the clinical care team cannot.

In research, we are often even more disconnected from those we are attempting to study. It is imperative that we involve populations of interest from the very start of research projects moving forward. Just as a statistician is a key advisor for methodology, engaging stakeholders after a study has started cannot always correct flaws in the study design. We must go farther than just asking for input and trying to justify why we cannot change our planned project. Instead, it is our duty to listen and integrate the voices of stakeholders into study design, communication about the study and interpretation of the analyses. I urge all researchers to consider the use of a Research Participant Advisory Group to assist with community messaging and ensure that the studies you undertake align with the priorities of the population of interest and that planned interventions are culturally adapted. This is especially important to respond to the distressing trend of an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths among Black residents in our local community.

Caroline Freiermuth

Professor, College of Medicine

In the Headlines

Concern about drug addiction has declined in U.S., even in areas where fatal overdoses have risen the most

The share of Americans who see drug addiction as a “major problem” in their community has declined in recent years, even as drug overdose deaths in the United States have risen sharply. Public concern about addiction is down even in the parts of the U.S. where drug overdose death rates have increased the most.

Select Resources to Drive DEI in Research at UC

NIDA REI: Racial Equity Visionary Award Program for Research on Substance Use and Racial Equity

This funding opportunity invites applications supporting independent, early career or established scholars who self-identify as health equity, health disparities, or social determinants of health experts with the skills to make exceptionally creative contributions to the study of equity for underserved U.S. racial and/or ethnic minority groups that experience poorer outcomes related to substance use and substance use disorders. This award supports transformative, boundary-pushing applications that may be risky or at a stage too early to fare well in the traditional peer review process.

SPIN ID: 112858

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Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

This award seeks to enhance the diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting the research training of predoctoral students from diverse backgrounds including those from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research workforce. Through this award program, promising predoctoral students will obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while conducting well-defined research projects in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

SPIN ID: 121312

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