Improving quality and equity of opioid use disorder treatment using a multi-state Medicaid research network

Dates: 2023-2028

Background:
The Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network (MODRN) has supported Medicaid agency efforts to improve opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment by developing novel measures of treatment quality and examining effects of treatment quality on overdose. This project will develop OUD quality measures that can be constructed at the provider-level, incorporate patient experience, and center health equity.

Objectives:
This project encompasses three integrated research projects that aim to:

1. Develop and describe provider-level OUD treatment quality measures and identify beneficiary- and provider-level factors that explain variation and inequities in quality.
2. Measure OUD patient-reported outcomes and examine associations with claims-based quality measures to guide quality and equity improvement.
3. Implement and examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a practice-level quality improvement intervention for OUD.

Research Topics & Methods:
The project involves detailed analysis of Medicaid administrative claims from 12 participating state, with statistical testing to examine trends across states. Patient-reported outcomes will be collected in Michigan and Virginia.

Implications:
Efficient and sustainable OUD quality measures developed and implemented through this project will guide quality improvement initiatives and Medicaid policy decisions.

Collaborators:
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh lead this project, which includes university researchers and Medicaid officials in 12 states.

Funder:
The project is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)