Brown University

This study explored the experiences of 11 patients discontinuing long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for either opioid use disorder (OUD) or chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). The analysis of patient interviews revealed six major themes that acted as barriers or motivators to quitting: stigma, social support, fears about the medication, physical symptoms, patient knowledge, and the role of healthcare providers. This information is intended to guide the creation of a mobile health app to better support patients during the tapering process.
Vincent acted as an author affiliated with Butler Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As a member of the Behavioral Medicine & Addictions Research team, he worked directly with clients undergoing MMT in their first six months of treatment. Through his work, Vincent was thus able to utilize this clinical and research experience toward the conception of this publication. His documented contribution was as one of four coders who analyzed the qualitative data from the patient interviews. This work involved developing a codebook, coding interview transcripts, and meeting with the research team to discuss and resolve discrepancies to ensure analytical accuracy.