“This Sounds Like it Should be Exempt:” Conducting Criminal Justice Research in Healthcare Settings

• In Event: Thinking Outside the Box: Harmonizing Data in Prevention Research, Healthcare Settings and Challenges From the Field

Abstract

Conducting research with people who are involved in the criminal justice system is wrought with challenges. Ethical concerns, access to participants, and the complexity of the system itself are just a few issues that must be managed effectively. Healthcare settings also introduce difficulties given the protections surrounding patients who receive treatment. Combine the two and this may be one of the most difficult settings to conduct research. This presentation reviews the challenges that were encountered during a Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) project that was completed in an office-based opioid treatment clinic. Following an extensive IRB application and review process, the research team began recruiting patients for a longitudinal study to learn how justice-involved patients were able to disengage (i.e. exit) the system. Despite a collaborative effort with physicians, nurses, and peer support specialists, numerous challenges remained while attempting to enroll participants in the study. The researchers developed several techniques to overcome these obstacles, identifying 75 eligible patients and enrolling 27 participants. These procedures were working well, until Hurricane Helene moved through the region, destroying critical infrastructure of the study site. This presentation will provide suggestions on how to conduct research in healthcare settings with people who are justice involved.

Authors

• Sierra D. Thomas, UNC Health Sciences at the Mountain Area Health Education Center

• Albert Kopak, UNC Health Sciences at the Mountain Area Health Education Center

• Alexa Singer, Justice Information Resource Network