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Published on: January 17, 2025
Impact of Assertive Outreach, Individual Involvement, and Significant Other Involvement on XR-NTX Adherence
Karen Guo1, Kevin Wenzel1, Julia Thomas1
1Maryland Treatment Centers, Baltimore, USA.
Family sessions in the MAT-PLUS intervention significantly improved medication adherence for opioid and/or alcohol use disorder (OUD/AUD) patients on extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX). This highlights the importance of family involvement in OUD/AUD treatment.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Psychosocial Interventions
- Pharmacotherapy Adherence
Background:
- Opioid and/or alcohol use disorder (OUD/AUD) present significant public health challenges.
- Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is an effective pharmacotherapy for OUD/AUD.
- Improving medication adherence is crucial for successful OUD/AUD treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the Medication Adherence Therapy: Psychosocial Leverage Using a Significant other (MAT-PLUS) intervention on XR-NTX adherence.
- To examine the roles of assertive outreach, individual participant involvement, and treatment significant other (TSO) involvement within the MAT-PLUS intervention.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving participants receiving XR-NTX for OUD/AUD.
- The MAT-PLUS intervention was administered over 16 weeks.
- Data collected included XR-NTX adherence, treatment team outreach, and participant/family communications.
Main Results:
- Analysis focused on 12 participants.
- Only the number of family sessions attended significantly predicted subsequent XR-NTX dose receipt (OR=8.74, 95% CI [1.84, 54.41]).
- Assertive outreach and individual participant involvement did not show significant predictive value for adherence in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Family involvement is a key component of the MAT-PLUS intervention for OUD/AUD.
- Enhancing family engagement may improve XR-NTX adherence in patients with OUD/AUD.
- Future research should explore mechanisms of family influence on treatment adherence.
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