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Substance Use Disorder (SUD)NCT07030192

Peer Support Workers Study

A study testing Emergency Department Peer Availability in people with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Many people with high-risk opioid use visit emergency departments (EDs), facing a high risk of death if they leave before completing care. Peer support workers (Peers) - people with lived experience of substance use - may improve patient comfort, reduce early departures, and potentially lower mortality rates. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
What is being tested?
Emergency Department Peer Availability
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
3,781 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
23 Nov 2024to Dec 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Emergency Department (ED) patient at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)
  • Age 18 years or older
  • Identified as using substances
  • Able to receive or decline peer support services during the ED visit

Who cannot join

  • Under 18 years of age
  • Does not report substance use

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Cindy Liu, BSc contact

778-929-1281

cindy.q.liu@ubc.ca

Elle Wang, MSc contact

604-615-2538

elle.wang@ubc.ca

Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Vancouver General Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9

    Jessica Moe, MD, jessica.moe@ubc.ca

    Recruiting

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Creating Safety in Chaos: Integrating Peer Support Workers in Emergency Departments to Support Patients Who Use Substances and Opioids

Many people with high-risk opioid use visit emergency departments (EDs), facing a high risk of death if they leave before completing care. Peer support workers (Peers) - people with lived experience of substance use - may improve patient comfort, reduce early departures, and potentially lower mortality rates. This study aims to evaluate how a hospital-implemented ED Peer program can enhance patient support, reduce barriers to care, and provide harm-reduction resources in a person-centred and trauma-informed manner. The study will assess whether Peer availability and direct Peer-patient interactions are associated with improved ED care outcomes, including reduced leaving before treatment completion, as well as subsequent healthcare utilization, overdose, mortality, and other relevant patient outcomes.

Read the detailed description

The study was initially designed as a feasibility evaluation of the ED Peer program and of the use of a randomized shift schedule to assign Peer availability. As program implementation progressed and staffing stabilized, the evaluation framework was refined to examine both the effect of Peer availability and outcomes associated with direct Peer-patient interaction.

From 23 November 2024 through 16 October 2025, Peer availability was assigned according to an a priori randomized shift schedule developed in collaboration with human resources and ED operational leadership. Following achievement of full Peer staffing, the program transitioned to routine clinical operation.

The study has two main analytic objectives: 1) during the shift-randomization period, investigators will compare outcomes between shifts with and without scheduled Peer availability among patients presenting with substance use-related concerns; 2) investigators will evaluate outcomes associated with direct Peer-patient interaction by comparing patients who interacted with a Peer with comparable patients who did not interact with a Peer.

The primary outcome is leaving before treatment completion (LBTC). Additional outcomes will include measures of ED care, subsequent healthcare utilization, substance use treatment, overdose, mortality, and other relevant clinical and health-service outcomes.

Investigators will request routinely collected records for Vancouver General Hospital ED visits during the study period. Records of eligible ED patients presenting during the study period will be linked to provincial administrative data to evaluate outcomes. Data sources will include the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), Vital Statistics, PharmaNet, Medical Services Plan (MSP), and the Central Demographics File. Population Data BC and Health Data Platform BC will support secure data linkage, and additional relevant datasets may be explored where useful to the study objectives.

These data will support cohort definition, construction of comparison groups, development of propensity scores, sensitivity analyses, and evaluation of outcomes including receipt of ED treatments and referrals, ED revisits, hospitalizations, overdose, opioid agonist therapies and other addiction treatments, mortality, and other relevant health-service outcomes.

Investigators will also obtain records of security-related events occurring during ED visits over the study period. These data will be used to examine whether Peer availability is associated with differences in events such as need for de-escalation or other security involvement.

Being tested
Emergency Department Peer Availability
Keywords
Peer support workers, Substance use, Emergency department
Medical subject headings
Substance-Related Disorders, Emergencies

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Emergency Department Peer AvailabilityBehavioural

    During intervention shifts, Peer support workers were scheduled to be available in the emergency department to provide support to patients with substance use-related concerns. Peer support workers offered services tailored to individual patients' needs, including referrals to clinical and social support services (e.g., social work, addictions specialists, Indigenous patient navigators, and community-based addiction services), provision of resources (e.g., blankets, food, naloxone kits, sterile drug use supplies, and information brochures), emotional support, and communication support between patients and healthcare providers regarding patients' conditions and ED care. The primary analysis will evaluate the effect of randomized Peer availability using an intention-to-treat approach. The secondary analysis will evaluate outcomes associated with actual Peer-patient interactions by comparing patients who received Peer support with comparable patients who did not.

Study groups in NCT07030192
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Peer Support InterventionExperimentalInvestigators will evaluate the Peer Support intervention using two analytical approaches: 1. Primary Analysis (Intention-to-Treat): Peer Available Shift Patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with substance use-related complaints during shifts when a Peer support worker was scheduled to be available, according to an a priori randomized schedule. Patients may or may not have directly interacted with a Peer during their ED visit. All eligible patients will be analyzed according to their randomized shift assignment, regardless of whether a direct Peer-patient interaction occurred. 2. Secondary Analysis: Interacted With Peer Patients who presented to the ED with substance use-related concerns and directly interacted with a Peer support worker during their ED visit. Peer activities may have included harm reduction support, provision of naloxone and sterile drug use supplies, linkage to substance use treatment, and connections to follow-up care and community resources.
Receives: Behavioral: Emergency Department Peer Availability
No Peer Support InterventionNo interventionInvestigators will define the comparison group using two approaches: 1. Primary Analysis (Intention-to-Treat): No Peer Available Shift Patients presenting to the ED with substance use-related complaints during shifts randomized to no Peer availability. 2. Secondary Analysis: Did Not Interact With Peer Patients presenting with similar substance use-related complaints who did not directly interact with a Peer. Investigators will use propensity score weighting to improve comparability with patients who received Peer support. The model will include relevant covariates (e.g., age, sex, area-level deprivation, prior substance use-related ED visits and hospitalizations, and prescriptions for substance dependence medications recorded in PharmaNet during the previous 12 months).

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Leaving Before Treatment Completion (LBTC)

    Investigators will measure LBTC among ED patients with substance use-related complaints (e.g., substance withdrawal, misuse/intoxication, overdose, and localized swelling/redness).

    Investigators will evaluate LBTC using two approaches:

    1. Primary Analysis (Intention-to-Treat): Peer vs. No Peer Shifts Investigators will classify eligible ED visits based on the randomized Peer schedule. For each shift, investigators will calculate the percentage of eligible visits resulting in LBTC. Linear regression will be used to compare LBTC percentages between Peer and No Peer shifts, regardless of actual Peer interaction.
    2. Secondary Analysis: Peer Interaction vs. No Peer Interaction Investigators will use propensity score weighting to improve comparability between patients who interacted with a Peer and those who did not. Mixed-effects logistic regression will be used to compare LBTC probabilities between groups, accounting for clustering by shift and adjusting for relevant covariates.

    Measured: From enrollment through 12 months of follow-up

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. Distribution of randomized Peer shifts by day of week (feasibility outcome)

    Assessed by examining the distribution of scheduled Peer shifts across each day of the week over the 48-week randomized schedule period. The schedule was developed in collaboration with human resources and ED operational leadership and approved as meeting hospital employee policy. The randomization approach used block-based scheduling with built-in constraints (e.g., mandatory weekends off). This outcome evaluates whether the resulting schedule achieved a balanced weekday/weekend distribution.

    Unit of Measure: Number and percentage of Peer shifts scheduled per day of the week

    Measured: From study initiation to achievement of full Peer staffing, approximately one year

  2. ED-based substance use and harm reduction interventions

    Secondary outcomes will include receipt of naloxone kits, opioid agonist therapy doses, and withdrawal treatments during the ED visit. Investigators will compare counts of these outcomes between intervention (Peer) and control (no Peer) groups using multivariable count regression. Investigators will assess clustering of outcomes by shift and adjust for the same covariates included in the primary analysis.

    Measured: Baseline

  3. 30-day health care utilization and clinical events (e.g., drug poisoning, mortality)

    Exploratory outcomes will include ED visits, hospitalizations, drug poisoning, and mortality within 30 days following the index ED visit. Investigators will analyze counts of these events using multivariable count regression, with the log-transformed length of follow-up included as an offset term where applicable, and will conduct time-to-event analyses using Cox regression. Investigators will assess clustering of outcomes by shift and adjust for the same covariates included in the primary analysis.

    Measured: From enrollment through 30 days of follow-up from ED visit

  4. Security-related events during ED visits

    Investigators will obtain records of security-related events occurring during ED visits over the study period from the ED security event database. Investigators will assess whether Peer availability was associated with differences in the frequency and type of security-related events, including escalation events and incidents requiring security involvement.

    Measured: Baseline

  5. Thematic summary of Indigenous patients' experiences with the Peer program

    Indigenous patient perspectives on the Peer program will be collected through surveys, culturally grounded storytelling and sharing circles. Sessions will be guided by open-ended questions to explore perceived safety, support, and emotional impact of Peer involvement in the emergency department. Transcripts will be analyzed using Indigenous-informed thematic analysis to identify key insights and priorities for culturally safe care.

    Unit of Measure: Themes and narratives identified through qualitative analysis

    Measured: Within 6 months after the patient's ED visit involving Peer interaction

  6. Thematic summary of healthcare providers' perceptions of the Peer program assessed through focus groups

    Acceptability of the Peer program among healthcare providers will be evaluated using semi-structured focus groups conducted periodically post-implementation. Discussions will explore perceived value, observed patient impact, integration into ED workflows, challenges, and suggestions for improvement. Audio recordings will be transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify recurring patterns and representative quotes.

    Unit of Measure: Thematic categories identified through qualitative analysis

    Measured: From 12-24 months after Peer program implementation

  7. Thematic summary of PWLLE perceptions and experiences of the Peer program assessed through focus groups

    Perspectives of people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) on the Peer program will be evaluated using semi-structured focus groups. Discussions will explore participants' perceptions of the value and accessibility of Peer support, experiences of substance use-related care in the ED, perceived impacts of the Peer program, barriers and gaps in care, and suggestions for improving Peer support and program delivery. Audio recordings will be transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify recurring themes and representative quotes. Unit of Measure: Thematic categories identified through qualitative analysis

    Measured: From 12-24 months after Peer program implementation

  8. Acceptability of the Peer program evaluated through periodic surveys

    Acceptability and implementation of the Peer program will be assessed through periodic surveys administered to Peers, patients accessing Peer services, members of the ED buprenorphine/naloxone team, and multidisciplinary healthcare providers. Surveys will assess experiences with the Peer program, including perceived value, respect, ease of communication, clarity of information, comfort, confidentiality, teamwork, integration into ED workflows, and perceived facilitators and barriers to implementation.

    Measured: From 12-24 months after Peer program implementation

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted22 Jun 2025
  2. Study start23 Nov 2024
  3. Primary completionMar 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
3,781 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07030192
Sponsor's protocol ID
H24-03008
Other IDs
F26-03530, F25-02658
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
3 Jun 2025
Last updated
3 Nov 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: There is no plan to make individual participant data available to other researchers

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Emergency Department Peer Availability in people with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Cindy Liu, BSc (778-929-1281, cindy.q.liu@ubc.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Leaving Before Treatment Completion (LBTC) (time frame: From enrollment through 12 months of follow-up). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Nov 2026.

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