Evaluation of a Peer Recovery Support Program Adapted to Target Retention in Clinic-based Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

NCT07197801 — Not applicable, Recruiting, 218 participants, Geisinger Clinic

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Registry	NCT07197801, acronym PEERS
Status	Recruiting
Phase	Not applicable
Study type	Interventional; randomized, parallel, masking: single, health services research
Enrollment	218 (Estimated)
Sponsor	Geisinger Clinic (Other); collaborators: UConn Health
Conditions	Opioid Use Disorder
Interventions	Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment (Behavioral)
Dates	start 2025-12-23, primary completion 2029-01-31 (estimated), completion 2029-07-31 (estimated), first posted 2025-09-29, last updated 2026-02-18
Locations	1 site in United States

-Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if receiving peer recovery support (support services provided by trained "peers" with lived experience of addiction and recovery) improves retention in medication treatment among people with opioid use disorder. The main question it aims to answer is: does peer recovery support improve retention in medication treatment for opioid use disorder?

Researchers will compare two groups: (1) standard care combined with a peer recovery support program, and (2) standard care alone, to see if peer recovery support works to improve retention in medication treatment for opioid use disorder.

Participants will: visit clinics as they normally would to receive standard care (medication treatment for opioid use disorder); complete two questionnaires - one when they start treatment and one 6 months later; and agree to let researchers use information from their medical record. Participants in group 1 will also be invited to meet with a peer recovery support specialist for up to 6 months.

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+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
Standard Care	No intervention		Study participants will receive the standard care - medication treatment for opioid use disorder
Standard Care + Peer Recovery Support	Experimental	Behavioral: Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment	In addition to standard care (medication treatment for opioid use disorder), study participants will receive support provided by a peer recovery support specialist

Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment (Behavioral): The intervention adds a peer recovery support (PRS) program to standard outpatient medication for opioid use disorder treatment and medical care. The PRS program will entail meeting one-on-one with a peer recovery specialist over a 6-month period, who will utilize their lived experience with substance use and recovery to provide emotional, informational, instrumental, and aﬃliational support to participants.

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

6-month treatment retention [180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder]: Data will come from the electronic health records. Retention will be defined as a participant not having a lapse in days' supply of medication for opioid use disorder treatment (buprenorphine, buprenorphine-naloxone, or naltrexone) within the 6-month follow-up period that is greater than 30 days.
Length of time in treatment [180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder]: Data will come from the electronic health records. Length of time in treatment will be determined by summing days' supply of consecutive orders for medications for opioid use disorder treatment(buprenorphine, buprenorphine- naloxone, or naltrexone). Treatment will be considered ended if a participant has a gap in supply of more than 30 days.

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to 89 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult ≥ 18 years of age
* Initiated medication for opioid use disorder treatment in past 45 days in a Geisinger outpatient clinic
* Willing and able to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Received medication for opioid use disorder treatment at a Geisinger outpatient clinic in the 90-day period prior to the treatment initiation date
* Not proficient in English

+Locations (1)

Facility	City	Country	Status
Geisinger Clinic	Danville, Pennsylvania	United States	Recruiting

+Investigators

Melissa Poulsen, PhD, Principal investigator, Geisinger Clinic