One of OPTIC’s goals is to improve policymaking and the effectiveness of opioid policies by enhancing opioid policy evidence. As part of that effort, OPTIC presents webinars discussing methodological work, potential solutions, and practice guidelines that may be helpful to researchers examining the effects of state policies and initiatives.
OPTIC researchers are also presenting relevant talks and courses at national meetings discussing opioid policy evidence data and methods with the research field. These video recordings are made available by the meeting hosts.
Beth Ann Griffin and Megan Schuler discuss notable methodological developments for mediation and moderation analyses to improve researchers’ ability to conduct robust analyses using data from observational and randomized studies in substance use research.
Beth Ann Griffin and Megan Schuler discuss the commonly used linear difference-in-difference model and then subsequently discuss difference-in-difference extensions and alternative approaches (i.e., autoregressive models, non-linear models, doubly robust methods, synthetic controls).
Rosalie Liccardo Pacula and Rosanna Smart discuss commonly used definitions for various state policies related to opioids, discuss how differences in assumptions regarding the meaning of "effective date" can have important implications regarding the likelihood of finding an impact through analysis, and discuss the importance of considering multiple policy domains.
