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NCT Number: NCT07414459

Combining Social Network Strategies and Routine Substance Use Screening

This study aims to improve health care for people who may have HIV or substance use disorders by bringing two services to a large community health center in Chicago. First, the clinic will begin offering routine screening for substance use to all patients. Second, the study will offer a social network-based program that helps people identify friends or partners who may need support and link them to care. The goal is to help more people learn their HIV status, reduce HIV levels in the community, and connect people with substance use treatment when needed. The study will also look at how well these services can be added into everyday clinic practice and what is needed to keep them going over time.

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Key information

Conditions

HIV Behavior Behavior, Addictive Chemically-Induced Disorders Compulsive Behavior Harm Reduction Impulsive Behavior Mental Disorders Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being Social Behavior Social Stigma Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

This project will take place in a network of federally qualified health centers that serves communities in Chicago that experience some of the highest rates of new HIV infections. The study has two main parts: Routine Substance Use Screening and a Social Network Intervention (SNI).

Routine screening at the clinics will introduce a consistent, standardized way to ask patients about substance use during regular visits. Patients who screen positive will be offered help, referrals, and follow-up services.

The social network intervention asks patients to think about people in their social networks (such as partners, friends, or peers) who may have untreated HIV, may have fallen out of care, or may have substance use concerns. Participants will receive support and tools to help connect people in their network to HIV testing, care, and treatment or substance use services at these clinics.

Together, these activities aim to:

  • Identify people who have HIV but are not in care
  • Reduce HIV viral load levels in the community
  • Identify people with substance use disorders and link them to treatment
  • Improve access to supportive services in the community

The study will also examine how easy or hard it is for clinics to use these two strategies in everyday practice. Researchers will gather feedback from clinic staff and patients to understand what helps or gets in the way of using these services in the long term. The goal is to create a package of tools and processes that other clinics can adopt in the future.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Assigned male sex at birth
  • Has sex with men
  • Speaks English or Spanish

Exclusion criteria

  • Institutionalized individuals
  • Women
  • Non-Hispanic whites

Treatment and study plan

Substance use disorder screening

Behavioral

Implement a routine SUD screening at the FQHC.

Social network intervention

Behavioral

Social network intervention (SNI) to identify individuals who are viremic, have SUD, or both and link them to harm reduction and HIV continuum of care services. There are three main activities that make up the SNI: 1) recruiting, screening, and interviewing "index participants"; 2) training the index participants to recruit others; 3) screening and interviewing persons who present a valid recruitment voucher given to them by an index participant.

Primary outcomes

  1. Rate of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Detection

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The number and proportion of patients who screen positive for substance use disorder using the routine SUD screening tool (NIDA Quick Screen) compared with the number identified through existing electronic medical record (EMR) documentation. This outcome measures whether routine screening increases the detection of individuals with possible SUD.

  2. Number of Individuals Identified as Viremic and/or Having SUD Through the Social Network Intervention (SNI)

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The number of people identified through the Social Network Intervention who have unsuppressed HIV (viremia), substance use disorder, or both. This will be compared to a functional control group (new or re-engaged clinic patients during the same time period) to determine whether the SNI is more effective at finding high-priority individuals needing care.

  3. Linkage to HIV Care or Substance Use Services

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The proportion of individuals identified through SUD screening or the SNI who successfully link to harm reduction, HIV care, or substance use treatment services. This outcome assesses early engagement in care following identification.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Viral Suppression Among Individuals Identified Through Screening or SNI

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The proportion of people identified with HIV who achieve viral suppression after being linked to care. This measures the downstream impact of improved identification and engagement.

  2. Time to Linkage to HIV Care or Substance Use Services

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The number of days from identification (via SUD screen or SNI) to the first attended HIV care appointment, harm reduction service, or substance use treatment visit.

  3. Number of New HIV Diagnoses Identified Through the SNI

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The number of individuals identified by SNI participants who test positive for HIV and were previously undiagnosed.

  4. Substance Use Treatment Initiation

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The proportion of people identified with SUD who initiate counseling, medication-assisted treatment, or other substance use services.

  5. Re-engagement in HIV Care

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    The number and proportion of individuals previously out of care for ≥6 months who return for at least one HIV medical visit after identification.

  6. Acceptability of SUD Screening and the SNI

    Time frame: Measured at Months 6, 12, 18, and 24

    Acceptability scores based on surveys and interviews with clinic staff and participants, assessing satisfaction, perceived burden, and overall fit within the clinical setting.

  7. Feasibility of Implementing the SUD Screener and SNI

    Time frame: Baseline through 24 months

    Assessment of whether the interventions can be carried out in the clinic as intended, measured by workflow fit, completion rates, and staff-reported ease of implementation.

  8. Sustainability of Screening and SNI Workflows (EPIS: Sustainment Phase)

    Time frame: Measured at 24 months

    Indicators of ongoing use of SUD screening and SNI processes without external study support, including continued staff utilization and workflow integration.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Britt Skaathun, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

619-543-5011

Nicole Carter, MPH

CONTACT

[email protected]

619-471-0796

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Diego

Other

Collaborators

  • Howard Brown Health Center
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • University of Chicago

Registry information

Acronym: SNSUS

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2029
First posted
Feb 17, 2026
Registry last updated
May 5, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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