NIDA Launches Drug Addiction Treatment Challenge

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has launched the “Mapping Patient Journeys in Drug Addiction Treatment” Challenge. Applicants are challenged to create a “journey map” to show the good and bad experiences people with substance use disorder have when navigating the health care system to get treatment, an experience that’s often challenging, confusing and inconsistent. 

Submissions, due Sept. 22, will enable NIDA to focus research efforts into alleviating those areas of difficulty. 

The challenge offers up to 3 awards: $50,000 (1st pl.), $30,000 (2nd) and $20,000 (3rd). Anyone who has experience with a patient’s journey with substance use disorder is encouraged to participate. 

Knowledge and experience of steps individuals take on the road from addiction to recovery are invaluable in solving this challenge. 

Journey maps incorporate physical and emotional experiences with the aim of capturing patient obstacles, interactions and movement through the health care system along with the patient’s behavior, feelings, motivations and attitudes across episodes of care. 

Learn more at https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/mapping-patient-journeys-in-drug-addiction-treatment/ or email NIDAChallenge@nih.gov.