The adoption of alcohol pharmacotherapies in the Clinical Trials Network: the influence of research network participation

J Subst Abuse Treat. 2010 Apr;38(3):275-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2010.01.003. Epub 2010 Feb 1.

Abstract

Organizational participation in clinical research may lead to adoption of the intervention by treatment agencies, but it is not known whether research involvement enhances innovativeness beyond the specific interventions that are tested. The National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trials Network (CTN) is a platform for considering this research question. To date, the CTN has not conducted research on medications for alcohol use disorders (AUDs), so greater adoption of innovative AUD pharmacotherapies by CTN-affiliated programs would suggest an added value of research network participation. Using longitudinal data from a pooled sample of CTN and non-CTN publicly funded treatment programs, we investigate adoption of tablet naltrexone and acamprosate over a 2-year period. CTN-affiliated programs were more likely to have adopted tablet naltrexone and acamprosate at 24-month follow-up, net of the effects of a range of organizational characteristics. Research network participation may thus enhance organizational innovativeness to include interventions beyond the scope of the network.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acamprosate
  • Alcohol Deterrents / therapeutic use*
  • Alcoholism / rehabilitation*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic*
  • Diffusion of Innovation*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Services Research
  • Humans
  • Naltrexone / therapeutic use*
  • Nitrosamines*
  • Organizational Culture
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / organization & administration
  • Taurine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Taurine / therapeutic use
  • United States

Substances

  • Alcohol Deterrents
  • Nitrosamines
  • Taurine
  • N-nitrosoiminodiacetic acid
  • Naltrexone
  • Acamprosate