A Feasibility Study for a Model to Save Lives Through a Volunteer First Responder Service Providing Antidote Treatment in Opioid Overdose

Launched by REGION SKANE · Jul 13, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new way to help save lives during opioid overdoses by using trained volunteers who can respond quickly before an ambulance arrives. These volunteers will use a special smartphone app that connects them to emergency services and sends alerts when someone nearby may be overdosing. Each volunteer will carry a kit with naloxone, a medicine that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose and restore breathing. Before joining, volunteers will receive training on how to recognize overdoses, give naloxone, and provide first aid safely.

People who want to volunteer need to be at least 18 years old, complete the training courses, and agree to take part in the study. They will also need to download the app and have a naloxone kit prescribed to them. When an overdose happens, volunteers within about 10 kilometers of the victim can be alerted to respond quickly, as long as the scene is safe. The study will look at whether this system is practical, safe, and accepted by volunteers and those receiving help. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce the time it takes to give life-saving treatment and improve survival for people experiencing opioid overdoses.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria for volunteer first responder:
• • 1. Give informed written consent to participate in the study
• • 2. Successfully complete an opioid overdose and naloxone course in addition to a first aid course, following current first aid guidelines from the Swedish Resuscitation Council and the European Resuscitation Council.
• • 3. Download and register oneself as a user on the project-specific volunteer first responder app on a smartphone
• • 4. Receive a formal prescription and reception of a naloxone kit, which can be easily refilled when needed
• Exclusion Criteria for volunteer first responder:
• • 1. Displaying inappropriate behavior during the education day (or otherwise in time, as witnessed or experienced by course instructors or the project team). Such conduct could for example be to not follow the guidelines of low-arousal (non-confrontational) approach in emergencies.
• Inclusion Criteria for overdose alerts:
• • 1. Victim being \>8 years old
• • 2. Any naloxone-responder being up to 10.000 meters from the situation, in Skåne
• Exclusion Criteria for overdose alerts:
• • 1. Any trauma behind the condition
• • 2. Dispatcher impression of the scene to be unsafe for lay persons