Clinical trial · Interventional
A Brief Negotiation Interview Chatbot to Improve Buprenorphine Engagement Among Justice-Involved Individuals
A Chatbot Utilizing Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing to Implement the Brief Negotiation Interview to Improve Engagement in Buprenorphine Treatment Among Justice-Involved Individuals
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Primary Objective: Conduct pilot study to assess effects of brief negotiation interview (BNI) Chatbot among individuals involved in the Connecticut criminal justice system with opioid use disorder (OUD). Study Duration: Approximately 2 years (1 year for study activities, 1 year for data analysis) Study Design: This is a prospective, randomized study to evaluate the effectiveness of a BNI Chatbot on patients with OUD compared with Standard Care (SC). Number of Study Sites: The offices of the Center for Progressive Recovery, LLC and the New Haven Police Department Detention Center (NHPD). Study Population: The study population includes adult individuals with OUD who are involved in the Connecticut criminal justice system and not currently receiving medication-assisted treatment for their OUD. Number of Participants: Sixty participants Primary Outcome Variable: Attendance at participants first treatment appointment within four weeks of referral among participants in the BNI Chatbot vs. Standard Care (SC) groups. Secondary Outcome and Exploratory Outcome Variables: Secondary outcomes include readiness and intention to engage in buprenorphine (bup) treatment, and urine toxicology test-confirmed drug use at four weeks among participants in BNI Chatbot vs. SC groups. Exploratory outcomes include ratings of feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction between study groups, and a comparison of study findings to engagement data from previous in-person studies, including BNI+bup, and other digital programs, such as reSET-O, and DynamiCare.
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Behavior | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Opioid Use Disorder, Moderate | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Opioid Use Disorder, Severe | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNI Chatbot | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
| OUD Education & Treatment Resources | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Brief Negotiation Interview Chatbot (BNI Chatbot)
- description
- Participants will receive a link to register for the chatbot. Following registration, they will complete the initial chat, which includes instructions for the entire study. The chatbot will then guide the participant through multiple BNIs focused on the goal of bup engagement, with the following steps: 1) Raise the Subject/Establish Rapport; 2) Enhance Motivation; 3) Provide \& Elicit Feedback; and 4) Negotiate a Plan. The chatbot then reminds the participant of their reasons why they might engage in OUD treatment based on their responses to Steps 2 \& 3, and their negotiated plan. The chatbot will electronically connect participants to a treatment provider of their choice, based on available options.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: BNI Chatbot
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Standard Care (OUD Education & Referral Resources)
- description
- • SC: The RA will provide participants with an electronic link, which provides OUD and bup education, and lists OUD treatment options and descriptions and locations, including bup prescribers. After reviewing, participants will be asked to choose from among the list of and a referral will be made based on the receiving treatment providers' procedures. These participants will not have access to the BNI chatbot. However, the referral facilitation, the electronic link will direct participants to a short Feasibility, Acceptability and Satisfaction (FAS) Assessment to obtain feedback on the process.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 65 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Can speak, read and write in English 2. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form 3. Adult aged \>18 years 4. Screened positive for opioid use disorder (OUD), moderate or severe, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5th Edition 5. Have health insurance 6. Have an existing electronic medical record in Epic 7. Have a working device that can access a web browser and receive texts (i.e., smartphone, tablet or computer) 8. Can provide a working email address 9. Can provide a working cell phone number Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current use of buprenorphine (bup), methadone, or naltrexone for a substance use disorder 2. Known allergy to bup 3. Pregnancy or lactation 4. Known current suicide risk based on interview 5. Mandatory transport to a Department of Correction Facility, or strong likelihood of immediate transport, resulting from current legal case
References
Publications (0)
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