ABSTRACT
Overdose is a national top-three leading cause of pregnancy-associated death, and maternal substance use
disorder (SUD) accounts for an estimated $1.5 billion in annual healthcare expenditures. Treatment with
medication and behavioral therapy reduces morbidity and overdose risk. However, in published studies and in
our data (n=186), 55% to 80% of patients discontinued treatment within one year postpartum. Additionally, as a
result of systemic inequities, historically marginalized patients are at greatest risk of overdose or death. We
urgently need interventions that can equitably improve treatment retention and SUD outcomes. One of the most
effective SUD treatment strategies in non-pregnant populations is contingency management (CM), in which
patients receive incentives to adhere to treatment. In pregnant populations, CM is efficacious for tobacco
cessation. However, CM has only been tested in small and underpowered trials for other maternal SUDs, and
the results have been mixed. Our central hypothesis is that CM will improve SUD treatment retention and reduce
maternal morbidity and overdose risk in patients, moderating the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH)
on outcomes. To test this hypothesis, we will design and conduct a hybrid efficacy-implementation randomized
control trial within the Clinic for Acceptance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) in Pregnancy at Washington
University in St. Louis, which offers prenatal care, addiction treatment, and extended postpartum support for
~125 diverse patients per year facing the challenges of a SUD. In the R61 phase, in conjunction with our
Community Advisory Board and the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research, we
will gather feedback from our partners (patients, providers, payers) to develop and pilot a standardized protocol
to address social needs (Aim 1), and develop and pilot a protocol for delivering CM in CARE (Aim 2). In the R33
phase, we will recruit 270 patients who will undergo standardized documentation and management of social
needs, and then be randomized to usual care or the CM program. We will assess the efficacy of CM to improve
treatment retention and other SUD outcomes of pregnant patients with SUD for up to three years postpartum
(Aim 3), use moderation modeling to define the relationships between SDoH services (exposure), CM
(moderator), and treatment retention/maternal SUD outcomes (outcomes) (Aim 4), and assess implementation
outcomes of reach, adoption, and implementation (Aim 5). If we prove CM efficacious to improve maternal SUD
outcomes, our work will lead to a scalable, sustainable, effective interventions to maximize the health and
wellbeing of patients and families affected by maternal SUD.
