Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40939693›Full record

ArticleJournal of substance use and addiction treatment2025

Post-overdose outreach programs in Massachusetts before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alexander Y Walley, Jiayi Wang, C To, MaryKate Duska, Stephen Murray, Moriah Wiggins, Andrew Rolles, Shapei Yan, Sarah Kosakowski, Sarah M Bagley and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Alexander Y WalleyGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA; Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, Boston, MA, 02108, USA. Electronic address: awalley@bu.edu.
Jiayi WangGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
C ToGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
MaryKate DuskaSt. George's University, University Centre, Grenada.
Stephen MurrayGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Moriah WigginsGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Andrew RollesGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Shapei YanGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Sarah KosakowskiGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Sarah M BagleyGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Ziming XuanBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Justeen HydeGrayken Center for Addiction and Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA; Center for Health Optimization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, 200 Spring Road, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA.
Scott W FormicaSocial Science Research and Evaluation, Inc., 84 Mill Street, Lincoln, MA, 01773, USA.

Funding

Identifying and Testing Post-Overdose Outreach Adaptations to Enhance Survivor Engagement During the COVID-19 PandemicR21DA053307 · NIDA · BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER · PI WALLEY, ALEXANDER YALE · 2021 to 2022
$516k
NIDA NIH HHS R21 DA053307
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo describe the characteristics of Massachusetts post-overdose outreach programs before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and identify program adaptations and practices.

methodsWe surveyed Massachusetts post-overdose programs about programming onset, funding, outreach encounters, naloxone distribution, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) referrals, and program practices before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We calculated frequencies and summary statistics for program characteristics and practices. We compared programs that started before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic using Pearson Chi-squared and Fisher's Exact tests.

resultsAs of July 2022, we identified 256 programs active in 242 (69 %) of Massachusetts' 351 municipalities. Before March 2020, 160 "pre-pandemic onset" programs were active. After March 2020, 96 "post-pandemic onset" programs started. In 2022, most were grant funded (89 % (227/256)). Initial survivor contact was attempted via phone (79 % (201/256)) and text (47 % (120/256)), most commonly by a recovery coach (77 % (196/256)). Most programs offered fentanyl test strips and naloxone. Some programs, more commonly pre-pandemic onset, offered safer smoking and injecting supplies. Among the 160 pre-pandemic onset programs, new practices included recommending virtual spotting (44 % (70/160)), facilitating MOUD telemedicine (24 % (39/160)), outreach for people using cocaine and methamphetamine (42 % (67/160)), and referring to race and ethnicity congruent services (31 % (50/160)).

conclusionMassachusetts post-overdose outreach programs expanded following the COVID-19 pandemic onset. Services and innovations included resources to reduce harms from the unregulated drug supply (e.g., fentanyl test strips) and more inclusive outreach (e.g., include people using stimulants and race and ethnicity congruent services).

Indexed as

Community-Institutional RelationsCOVID-19Opioid-Related DisordersHumansMassachusettsNaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsSARS-CoV-2NaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsCOVID-19OpioidsOutreachOverdosePost-overdose

Identifiers

PMID40939693
PMCPMC12488249

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.