Development of an Interview-Informed Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) for Opioid Use in the Era of Fentanyl

Launched by NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA) · May 28, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new tool called the Opioid Timeline Follow-Back (OpiTLFB) that helps researchers understand how people use nonmedical opioids, which are opioids obtained outside of a healthcare setting, like from friends or dealers. The goal is to improve the way we track and understand opioid use, especially in the context of the increasing presence of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.

To participate in this study, you need to be at least 18 years old and have used nonmedical opioids in the past 30 days. If you join, you will visit a clinic in Baltimore for 1 to 4 hours, where you will fill out a calendar about your opioid use over the last month and share your experiences. You will also provide a urine sample, which is a common part of such studies. This research is important because it can help develop better tools for tracking opioid use and understanding the challenges people face.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• * INCLUSION CRITERIA:
• To be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet the following criteria:
• • 1. Age 18 years or older
• • 2. Past 30-day use of an opioid obtained in a nonmedical context (i.e., not from a pharmacy or in a healthcare setting)
• • 3. Able to understand and communicate in written and spoken English.
• • Justification: Initial development of the OpiTLFB requires strong, unmediated communication between the study team and the participants. Further development and modification for non-English-speaking interviewees is best undertaken as a separate project when the OpiTLFB is ready for use.
• • 4. Ability of subject to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
• EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
• • 1. Any medical, psychiatric, or social conditions that the investigators believe would make participation in this protocol not in the best interest of the participant.