Completed Projects

Equity in Perinatal Substance Use Testing

This retrospective chart review examined variations in toxicology testing among women who obtain prenatal care in Massachusetts, to better understand when toxicology tests are utilized and for whom.

Inviting Narratives of SUD treatment in the Perinatal period: a focus on Race and Equity (INSPiRE)

The INSPiRE study sought to learn more about experiences with the healthcare system and community programs for pregnant and parenting individuals with substance use disorder. The project included experts with lived experience and subject matter expertise to design, conduct, and analyze data from individual interviews with pregnant and parenting people of color, specifically Black and Latinx birthing people with SUD to identify barriers to care. Studies have shown disparities in medication use for the treatment of opioid use disorder in pregnancy and the postpartum period for Black and Latinx people as compared to white people. The goal of INSPIRE Project was to use Antiracist Praxis and Community-Enhanced Research in Massachusetts to investigate the intersection of race/ethnicity and substance use disorder (SUD) across the perinatal continuum.

Family Engagement Project

The PRISM team is leading the Family Engagement Project 2.0, with the support the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC), to continue to support hospitals in developing their ability to engage families impacted by substance use disorders, identify potential sources of inequitable care, incorporate the family voice in local improvement efforts and create supportive spaces to elicit the perspective of families with lived experience.

Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Expectant Mothers (MOMs)

Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network, the MOMs study is a randomized control trial (CTN- 0080) evaluating the impact of two different types of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in pregnant women. The MOMs trial seeks to compare the effectiveness of sublingual buprenorphine to a long-acting injectable formulation, CAM2038. The MOMs study will follow the health of mother and baby through pregnancy up to one-year postpartum. This multisite trial will enroll 300 participants nationally, with 25 participants recruited locally at MGH.

Improving Treatment Engagement and Adherence to Optimize Outcomes for Opioid-Exposed Mother-Infant Dyads

Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA K23DA048169), this study aims to aim to better understand the factors that impact engagement in treatment, adherence to medications, and attitudes towards medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among pregnant, postpartum, and parenting women. This mixed-methods study aims to quantitatively examine how medication adherence impacts maternal and child health utilization and outcomes and qualitatively explores beliefs, attitudes, interpersonal and structural barriers and facilitators to treatment engagement and adherence in order to develop a pharmacotherapy promotion intervention.

Patients Perspectives on Discussing Safety and Ongoing Substance Use While Parenting

Using qualitative methodology, this project aims to use focus groups with postpartum women with substance use disorder to assess patient attitudes towards ongoing non-prescribed substance use while parenting. Often overlooked, patient perspectives on how clinicians assess child safety in the setting of using substances while parenting will be critical to inform patient-centered clinical polices in the HOPE clinic.

Toxicology Consent Practices

Using semi-structured qualitative interviews with clinicians and birthing people who underwent toxicology testing at the time of delivery, this project aims to investigate the impact of toxicology testing during pregnancy on birthing people; clinician attitudes and practices around toxicology testing during pregnancy; as well as barriers and facilitators to obtaining consent for toxicology testing at delivery. Findings will be used to develop evidence-based guidelines to support practices that ensure equitable care for birthing individuals and families.