Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34210725›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2021

Using a pragmatically adapted, low-cost contingency management intervention to promote heroin abstinence in individuals undergoing treatment for heroin use disorder in UK drug services (PRAISE): a cluster randomised trial.

Nicola Metrebian, Tim Weaver, Kimberley Goldsmith, Stephen Pilling, Jennifer Hellier, Andrew Pickles, James Shearer, Sarah Byford, Luke Mitcheson, Prun Bijral and 26 more

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Financial Incentives for Substance Abstinence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2025
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

36 authors at 11 institutions in 1 country.

Nicola MetrebianAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK nicola.metrebian@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-3581-1703
Tim WeaverDepartment of Mental Health & Social Work, Middlesex University, London, UK.
Kimberley GoldsmithBiostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Stephen PillingCentre for Outcomes, Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK.
Jennifer HellierBiostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Andrew PicklesBiostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
James ShearerHealth Services and Population Research, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Sarah ByfordHealth Services and Population Research, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7084-1495
Luke MitchesonAddictions, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Prun BijralManagement Offices, Change Grow Live, Manchester, UK.
Nadine BogdanSankey House, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Pitsea,Essex, UK.
Owen Bowden-JonesAddictions and Substance Misuse, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Edward DayAddiction Services, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
John DunnDrugs and Alcohol Services, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Anthony GlasperSubstancce Misuse Service, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Worthing, UK.
Emily FinchAddictions, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Sam ForshallDrug and Alcohol Services, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bath, UK.
Shabana AkhtarAddiction Services, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Jalpa BajariaSankey House, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Pitsea,Essex, UK.
Carmel BennettAddiction Services, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Elizabeth BishopCentre for Outcomes, Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK.
Vikki CharlesAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Clare DaveyDrug and Alcohol Services, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bath, UK.
Roopal DesaiAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Claire GoodfellowCentre for Outcomes, Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5990-8150
Farjana HaqueAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Nicholas LittleCentre for Outcomes, Research and Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK.
Hortencia McKechnieAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Franziska MoslerAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Jo MorrisDrug and Alcohol Services, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Bath, UK.
Julian MutzAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5308-1957
Ruth PauliAddiction Services, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Dilkushi PoovendranCentre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Elizabeth PhillipsSankey House, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Pitsea,Essex, UK.
John StrangAddictions, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
Contingency Management Programme Team
King's College London · GBBirmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust · GBUniversity College London · GBAvon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust · GBSouth Essex Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust · GBSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust · GBCamden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust · GBCentral and North West London NHS Foundation Trust · GBCentre for Mental Health · GBMiddlesex University · GBSussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMost individuals treated for heroin use disorder receive opioid agonist treatment (OAT)(methadone or buprenorphine). However, OAT is associated with high attrition and persistent, occasional heroin use. There is some evidence for the effectiveness of contingency management (CM), a behavioural intervention involving modest financial incentives, in encouraging drug abstinence when applied adjunctively with OAT. UK drug services have a minimal track record of applying CM and limited resources to implement it. We assessed a CM intervention pragmatically adapted for ease of implementation in UK drug services to promote heroin abstinence among individuals receiving OAT.

designCluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING AND

participants552 adults with heroin use disorder (target 660) enrolled from 34 clusters (drug treatment clinics) in England between November 2012 and October 2015.

interventionsClusters were randomly allocated 1:1:1 to OAT plus 12× weekly appointments with: (1) CM targeted at opiate abstinence at appointments (CM Abstinence); (2) CM targeted at on-time attendance at appointments (CM Attendance); or (3) no CM (treatment as usual; TAU). Modifications included monitoring behaviour weekly and fixed incentives schedule. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome: heroin abstinence measured by heroin-free urines (weeks 9-12). SECONDARY OUTCOMES: heroin abstinence 12 weeks after discontinuation of CM (weeks 21-24); attendance; self-reported drug use, physical and mental health.

resultsCM Attendance was superior to TAU in encouraging heroin abstinence. Odds of a heroin-negative urine in weeks 9-12 was statistically significantly greater in CM Attendance compared with TAU (OR=2.1; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.9; p=0.030). CM Abstinence was not superior to TAU (OR=1.6; 95% CI 0.9 to 3.0; p=0.146) or CM Attendance (OR=1.3; 95% CI 0.7 to 2.4; p=0.438) (not statistically significant differences). Reductions in heroin use were not sustained at 21-24 weeks. No differences between groups in self-reported heroin use.

conclusionsA pragmatically adapted CM intervention for routine use in UK drug services was moderately effective in encouraging heroin abstinence compared with no CM only when targeted at attendance. CM targeted at abstinence was not effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN 01591254.

Indexed as

BuprenorphinePharmaceutical PreparationsAdultEnglandHeroinHumansUnited KingdomBuprenorphineHeroinPharmaceutical Preparationsadult psychiatryclinical trialssubstance misuse

Identifiers

PMID34210725
PMCPMC8252884
OpenAlexW3167745085

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.