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Peer Support Workers Study
Sponsor: University of British Columbia
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. 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.
Official title: Creating Safety in Chaos: Integrating Peer Support Workers in Emergency Departments to Support Patients Who Use Substances and Opioids
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
3781
Start Date
2024-11-23
Completion Date
2028-12
Last Updated
2026-11-03
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Emergency Department Peer Availability
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.
Locations (1)
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada