The HI-SIRI Study

The Integrated Care and Treatment for Severe Infectious Diseases and Substance Use Disorders among Hospitalized Patients (HI-SIRI) Study will study a comprehensive, integrated hospital-based intervention to address concurrent treatment and follow-up support for people who inject drugs with infectious complications. A combined (pharmacologic/behavioral/harm reduction/low barrier communication) intervention approach will be tested to 1) initiate integrated medications for SUD in the hospital concurrently with treatment for infectious complications (e.g., treatment for bacterial, fungal and viral infections including COVID-19) and 2) rapidly transfer and retain patients in (less costly) integrated post-discharge follow-up and outpatient care.

SIRI is looking to see how effective a team is that made up of both Infectious Disease and Substance Use physicians can be for individuals who are hospitalized with severe injection-related infections with drug use. This integrated team will also include patient navigators, care management, and will start enrolling patients while they are in the hospital for their infection. Participants will be randomized to either see the integrative team for 4 months or receive treatment as usual and research coordinators will follow individuals for one year. The primary outcome is comparison of readmission rates between groups.

This study is being led by the Florida Node Alliance housed within the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.