Experiences of Team Collaboration in Primary Care-Based Delivery of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment.

Austin EJ, Bentley MJ, Ferro L, Saxon AJ, Fortney JC, Curran GM, Blanchard BE, Moghimi Y, Williams EC, Ratzliff AD, Ruiz MS, Koch U. Experiences of Team Collaboration in Primary Care-Based Delivery of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment. The journal of behavioral health services & research. 2025 Oct 1; 52(4):560-572, DOI: 10.1007/s11414-025-09946-2.

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Abstract:

Team-based models of care delivery are increasingly utilized to address co-occurring mental health and/or substance use conditions. However, little is known about how team-based models function among primary care teams delivering treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). The research team conducted qualitative interviews with a sample of multidisciplinary, primary care team members delivering OUD treatment using the collaborative care model (CoCM). Providers were recruited from 13 diverse United States (U.S.) clinics participating in a multisite hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. Interviews were audio recorded and professionally transcribed. All transcripts were double-coded using a coding schema informed by relational coordination theory. Thirty-five team members completed an interview, including 14 primary care providers (PCPs), 13 behavioral health care managers (BHCM), and eight consulting psychiatric providers (CPP). Four themes emerged: (1) team-based work increases shared knowledge about patients; (2) team members leverage one another''s relationships with patients to increase treatment engagement; (3) team collaboration is enhanced when BHCMs have opportunities and space to connect informally with PCPs; and (4) increased mutual respect between team members is needed to maximize patient engagement efforts. Team-based models may enhance patient engagement in OUD care by increasing the volume of patient contacts and augmenting therapeutic alliances.