Recovery opioid overdose team (ROOT) pilot program evaluation: A community-wide post-overdose response strategy.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Addiction Treatment

Background:

• Effective interventions for emergency department (ED) overdose survivors are crucial.
• Peer recovery coaches and community case management navigators offer a promising model for engagement and linkage to care.
• The Recovery Opioid Overdose Team (ROOT) program was developed as a warm hand-off system to connect survivors with treatment services post-ED discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot Recovery Opioid Overdose Team (ROOT) program.
• To assess the program's ability to link overdose survivors to recovery support and treatment services.
• To analyze engagement rates and service utilization among overdose survivors referred to the ROOT program.

Main Methods:

• The ROOT program utilizes a peer recovery coach and a case management navigator specializing in mental health.
• Following an overdose reversal, a crisis team notifies ROOT, initiating engagement in the ED and follow-up for up to 90 days post-discharge.
• Retrospective chart reviews were conducted for the ROOT program in two Midwest EDs from September 2017 to March 2019.

Main Results:

• 77.0% of 122 referred overdose survivors initially engaged with the ROOT program in the ED or community.
• Of those engaged, 33.6% received ongoing treatment services, including outpatient, residential, and medication for opioid use disorder.
• The majority of overdose survivors were male (63.9%), White (43.4%), and had stable housing (80.2%).

Conclusions:

• The ROOT program demonstrates promise as a community-wide, coordinated intervention for overdose survivors.
• The warm hand-off system effectively links individuals to recovery support and treatment services post-emergency department discharge.
• Continued evaluation and implementation of such programs are vital for improving outcomes for overdose survivors.