An Intervention Mapping Approach to Closing the Gap in Maternal OUD and Infant NAS Care

The increasing prevalence of pregnant and postpartum women affected by Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in the US is highlighted by the growing number of babies referred to the NICU for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome after birth. Despite recent advances in integrating mental health and substance abuse treatment into adult healthcare settings, no current treatment options exist to integrate maternal OUD treatment and referrals into the pediatric care setting making it unlikely that mothers will be able to access care. In order to preserve the dyadic bond, improve maternal functioning, and provide a more stable environment for the infant after discharge from the NICU, the researchers now embark on a study utilizing steps from intervention mapping to identify facilitators and barriers to integrated maternal OUD treatment and referral in the NICU, adapt existing evidence-based models of co-located OUD care to the NICU setting, and test the feasibility and acceptability of the new model. In Aim 1, the researchers will collect qualitative data via in-depth interviews with 32 NICU providers, social workers, administrators, and parents to determine barriers and facilitators to offering bedside buprenorphine induction and treatment. In Aim 2, the researchers will convene an advisory board to review data collected in Aim 1 and to develop a plan for implementing buprenorphine initiation into the study's unique setting to address the issue- the provision of adult focused OUD care in a pediatric care setting. Aim 2 does not constitute Human Subjects research. The primary outcome of Aim 2 will be a suite of implementation strategies to pilot test in Aim 3. Aim 3 is a pilot case series implementation trial where the researchers will test the adapted intervention to determine feasibility and acceptability to both providers and patients. As this is a case series the investigators propose to recruit 10 participants from each of the two partner NICUs for a total enrollment of N= 20 in Aim 3. A formal sample size calculation was not performed as there is no data on which to a base a formal sample size calculation. For pilot studies with an expected medium standardized effect size, a case number of N= 15 per group has been recommended for pilot studies preceding a possible main study with a power of 90%. The investigators plan to recruit 20 participants to account for possible attrition. The researchers are not necessarily powered to detect an effect. Participants will not be randomized to condition; all NICU mothers meeting inclusion criteria during the study timeline for Aim 3 will be invited to participate in Aim 3. The outcomes of acceptability and feasibility will be measured through questionnaires, interviews, and treatment initiation and retention statistics.