Translating Data 2 Action to Prevent Overdose

Overview

The Research Need

Deaths from opioid overdoses have increased dramatically in recent years. One major hurdle to decreasing overdoses is collecting and analyzing high-quality, real-world data to forecast prevention and treatment service gaps. Accelerating the implementation of evidence-based interventions is a priority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Overdose Prevention Strategy.

About the Program

The HEAL Data 2 Action (HD2A) program employs methods to improve the timeliness and usefulness of data. The research develops innovative, real-world approaches to implement evidence-based interventions to reduce overdoses and improve pain outcomes.

The HD2A Innovation Projects leverage partnerships to improve data infrastructure toward overcoming gaps in service delivery with implementation of evidence-based interventions.

The HD2A Acceleration Projects seek to develop data or methods that improve the timeliness, quality, accessibility, or usefulness of data to accelerate responses to the overdose crisis.

Three Support and Resource Centers offer consultation to the Innovation and Acceleration Projects.

  • The Research Adoption Support Center provides coordination and communication infrastructure along with consultation on adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices.
  • The Modeling and Economic Resource Center offers consultation on economic analysis, simulation modeling, and behavioral economics to estimate impact and cost-effectiveness.
  • The Data Infrastructure Support Center provides data support, tools, training, and modernization.

Open Funding Opportunities

There are no Open Funding Opportunities at this time.

Program Details

Through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, NIH has awarded 13 research grant awards, totaling $76 million, to fund this program.

Research Examples

Research examples supported by this program include:   

  • Developing clinical decision support that encourages safer opioid prescribing and improves use of tailored, evidence-based pain management practices
  • Developing data dashboards to identify areas of high overdose burden and implementing data-driven decision-making strategies to enhance overdose stabilization, naloxone provision, opioid use disorder treatment linkage, and wraparound service delivery
  • Merging data streams and modeling system needs dynamically
  • Facilitating identification of opioid use disorder and linkage to (and retention in) treatment through technology, integrated care, and regulatory flexibility among high-risk populations
  • Developing health system data dashboards to better assess care quality for managing pain and addressing opioid use disorder and facilitate quality improvement
  • Linking health care and medical claims data to enhance registries for assessing perioperative pain management strategies and their association with patient outcomes

Innovation Projects 

  • Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis – Indiana
  • New York University – New York
  • University of Colorado, Denver – Colorado
  • University of South Florida – Florida
  • University of Washington – Washington
  • Yale University – Connecticut
  • University of Illinois at Chicago – Illinois
  • Chestnut Health Systems – Oregon

Acceleration Projects

  • Stanford University – California  
  • Yale University – Connecticut  

Research Adoption Support Center

  • Stanford University – California  

Data Infrastructure Support Center 

  • Wake Forest University – North Carolina 

Modeling and Economic Resource Center 

  • Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University – New York 

2023
Leveraging regulatory flexibility for methadone take-home dosing to improve retention in treatment for opioid use disorder: A stepped-wedge randomized trial to facilitate clinic level changes
Nov 28, 2023
2023
Supporting Data-Driven Decision-Making to Support Substance Use Service Expansion Policies and to Prevent Overdoses
Sep 28, 2023
2023
The Use of Novel Linked Databases to Reduce Postoperative Opioid Use Among Patients Undergoing Inpatient Surgery
Sep 28, 2023
2023
Chicago Data-driven OUD Screening, Engagement, Treatment and Planning (C-DOSETaP) System
Sep 28, 2023
2023
Leveraging Data to Action: Accelerating Emergency Department OUD Care by Improving Data Access and Infrastructure
Sep 28, 2023