Learning Health Systems and Substance Use Care Cascade Achievement Among Justice-Involved Youth

What is the effect of a learning health systems (LHS) intervention, including the youth legal system and behavioral health care, on substance use or substance use disorder (SU/D) care cascade outcomes among adolescents involved in the youth legal system?In this cluster-randomized stepped-wedge clinical trial of 5731 youths, a time-to-event analysis indicated the LHS was associated with significantly reduced time between youth arrest and SU/D risk screening. Significant interactions showed reduced times from arrest to treatment initiation and engagement for youths arrested 3.5 to 4.0 years after study start (ie, post COVID-19).These findings suggest that cross-system LHS may improve timeliness of SU/D risk screening, treatment initiation, and engagement for justice-involved youth.

Corresponding Author: Matthew C. Aalsma, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 410 W 10th St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (maalsma@iu.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.