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New study outlines RTI-led approach to standardizing data across research projects
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — A new study highlights a community-informed approach developed by RTI International, an independent scientific research institute, to create a shared measurement framework for overdose prevention research.
The framework, co-developed by Lissette Saavedra, Ph.D., and Jessica Cance, MPH, Ph.D., through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Research on Interventions for Stability and Engagement (RISE) Network, introduces a tiered system of common data elements (CDEs) and common outcome measures (COMs) that can be used across multiple studies. This standardization allows researchers to compare and combine data more effectively, improving the quality and reach of evidence-based strategies. RISE is funded through the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative or (NIH HEAL Initiative).
“Our role as the RISE Network’s Coordination Center is to connect science with real-life experience,” said Saavedra, a senior research psychologist and Fellow at RTI. “When data are harmonized with lived and scientific expertise, each study strengthens the next, with the hope of moving the field toward cumulative science and lasting impact.”
The study describes how RTI’s Coordination Center, led by Cance, guided a rigorous consensus process involving researchers, community partners, and people with lived experience. The process resulted in a flexible yet standardized set of CDEs and COMs that reflect both scientific priorities and real-world relevance.
Key findings include:
- A tiered framework of core, recommended, and optional measures that balance standardization with adaptability
- 94% of core CDEs were implemented across participating projects with identical or minor wording changes
- All COMs were represented across studies, enabling consistent outcome tracking
Community input ensured that selected measures were meaningful and practical across a range of research settings and populations
The full set of Tier 1 CDEs and COMs will be made publicly available through the NIH HEAL webpage to support broader adoption.
Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under award number U24DA05761. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
RTI International is an independent scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems.
For more information, visit www.rti.org.