Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40156033›Full record

ArticleHarm reduction journal2025

"I don't let anybody die on my watch": perspectives on the intersection of community overdose response and emergency medical services among people who use drugs in Seattle, WA.

Courteney Wettemann, David L Perlmutter, Tessa Frohe, Taylor Ryan, Grover Will Williams, Nathan Holland, Rachel Rourke, Robert Pitcher, Callan Elswick Fockele, Brenda Goh and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Harm reduction journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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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

12 authors.

Courteney WettemannDepartment of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8125-578X
David L PerlmutterDepartment of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-5061-6209
Tessa FroheDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7796-1200
Taylor RyanDepartment of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7484-4749
Grover Will WilliamsResearch with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU), Seattle, WA, USA.
Nathan HollandResearch with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU), Seattle, WA, USA.
Rachel RourkeResearch with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU), Seattle, WA, USA.
Robert PitcherResearch with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU), Seattle, WA, USA.
Callan Elswick FockeleDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9646-2485
Brenda GohDepartment of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Germaine BillingsleyResearch with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU), Seattle, WA, USA.
Jenna van DraanenDepartment of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. jvandraa@uw.edu.ORCID 0000-0003-0486-6525

Funding

eHaRT-A: Adapting an evidence-based, in-person harm reduction treatment into a virtual care telehealth intervention for people with lived experience of homelessness and alcohol use disorderK01AA030053 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI Tessa Marie Frohe · 2022 to 2026
$861k
NIAAA NIH HHS K01 AA030053
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe increasing implementation of harm reduction strategies such as take-home naloxone has placed people who use drugs (PWUD) in the position of overdose responders during overdose events, but the perspectives of PWUD are underrepresented in public health policy and practice concerning overdose response. We conducted this study to examine PWUD's perspectives on first response services for overdose and to learn how PWUD can be supported more effectively when they respond to overdoses.

methodsThe Research with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU) team, a community-based research team that includes academically trained researchers and people with lived and living experience conducted 13 semistructured interviews with PWUD in King County. The data were analyzed via thematic analysis. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to guide the development of the interview protocol and as a framework for qualitative codebook development.

resultsParticipants were asked to describe their experiences with EMS, including police, during overdose response. Most had reversed an overdose themselves and demonstrated commitment to their role as overdose responders. Participants had mixed feelings about EMS involvement in overdose response, citing concerns about stigma and coercion. Police response was described as negatively impacting peer overdose response, with participants stating that past experiences of arrest and harassment by police during overdose response contributed to their reluctance to call 911 during an overdose.

conclusionThe findings from this study demonstrate the important role of PWUD in overdose response and suggest that improving interactions between EMS and PWUD could positively impact future responses, including increasing PWUD's willingness to call 911 during overdose events.

Indexed as

Drug OverdoseDrug UsersEmergency Medical ServicesAdultFemaleHarm ReductionHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedNaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsQualitative ResearchWashingtonNaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsEmergency medical servicesHarm reductionNaloxoneOverdose responsePeople who use drugs

Identifiers

PMID40156033
PMCPMC11951663

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.