SCREEN, TREAT AND RETAIN METH-USING PEOPLE WITH OPIOID USE DISORDERS AT MMT CLINICS (STAR-OM)

Grant number: NIH 1R01DA050486-01

Methamphetamine use is a major driver of the global public health problem of amphetamine-type stimulant misuse, which is second in impact to cannabis worldwide. Meth use is highly prevalent among people living with HIVand among certain vulnerable populations such as men who have sex with men and transgender women. Meth use affects HIV cascade of care, especially affecting medication adherence and lowering the probability of having viral suppression. Use of methamphetamine and other stimulants also affects PrEP adherence. Last but not least, methamphetamine use may biologically accelerate HIV disease progression in various ways.

Strong evidence is supporting the use of different evidence-based interventions to reduce meth use and retain people in treatment. These interventions include Contingency management, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Matrix Model, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and SMS messaging. Evidence on optimal combinations of these interventions for greatest cost-effectiveness is however, limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Overall objective: To identifyoptimal combinations of evidence-based interventions to improve HIV outcomes and reduce meth use among people with opioid use disorder who are in methadone maintenance therapy in Vietnam.

Specific aims:

  1. To develop and to compare effectiveness of two frontline interventions (high intensity vs. low intensity) and four adaptive strategies in improving HIV and substance use outcomes among meth-using people with opioid use disorder who are patients at methadone clinics in the two largest cities in Vietnam.
  2. To compare cost-effectiveness of two frontline interventions and of four adaptive strategies in improving both HIV and substance use outcomes among meth-using people with opioid use disorder at methadone clinics.
  3. To identify the structural, provider, and patient-level factors that influence adoption and scale-up of the STAR-OM model in methadone clinics.

Thời gian: June 2020 – May 2025

Địa điểm: Hanoi & HCMC

Principal Investigators:

  • Le Minh Giang, MD., PhD, Hanoi Medical University
  • Steve Shoptaw, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Do Van Dung, MD., PhD, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy

The study has completed its pilot phase and will get into its full implementation in June 2021.