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Establishing evidence-based pharmacologic treatments for neonatal abstinence syndrome: A retrospective case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2022

Sarah K. Brewer*
Affiliation:
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
Jonathan M. Davis
Affiliation:
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
Rachana Singh
Affiliation:
Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
Lisa C. Welch
Affiliation:
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
*
Address for correspondence: S. Brewer, MPH, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, 800 Washington Street, Box #63, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Email: SBrewer@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
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Abstract

Translation of research discoveries into health impact can take many years, creating delays in improving clinical outcomes. One approach to promoting timely translation is to examine successful cases in order to understand facilitators and strategies for overcoming barriers. We examined the development of evidence-based management for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) at one academic medical center, with a primary focus on pharmacologic treatment. Despite a substantial increase in NAS case incidence starting in the early 2000s, significant sociocultural, policy, and regulatory barriers limited collaborative NAS research. Facilitators for translation encompassed: 1) pursuing research of societal interest, 2) building an effective interdisciplinary team, 3) intentionally linking clinical, research, and advocacy efforts, 4) broad stakeholder engagement across clinical, policy, and research arenas, and 5) leveraging local resources. Challenges included lack of commercially available U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved neonatal drug formulations, legal and regulatory barriers related to off-label and illicit use of opioids, recruitment for a treatment associated with drug withdrawal syndromes, misalignment of research design needs with real-world scenarios, and episodic funding. Benefits of successful translation included improvements in clinical care, reduced healthcare costs related to NAS, and enhanced legislative, policy, and research strategies to support broader neonatal investigations.

Information

Type
Translational Science Case Study
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Association for Clinical and Translational Science
Figure 0

Fig. 1. Intersecting historical trajectories for evidence-based (pharmacological) treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Figure 1

Fig. 2. Key milestones toward an evidence-based (pharmacologic) treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Figure 2

Table 1. Impact of research on NAS at one academic medical center

Figure 3

Table 2. Barriers encountered and team strategies used

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