Combatting stigma and bias in addiction research by working with patients as research-team partners

Addiction to illicit substances continues to be a persistent and growing public health crisis, resulting in an increasing need for effective research and subsequent implementation in addiction research. Currently, research and treatment opinions and perspectives are limited to those of providers and professionals while failing to include patients as partners. The lived experiences of patient research partners who have experienced addictions are not well incorporated into research and interventions. Stigma and biases influence addiction research by excluding patients as partners, resulting in less robust solutions and potential biases. Related patient as partners challenges may be mitigated by maintaining open communication, inclusive recruitment, appropriate training and assessment of researcher-partner collaboration. The implementation of these strategies may allow for meaningful partnerships. As drug-involved overdoses and/or deaths continue to climb, using patients as partners in addiction research is crucial to improving research. Thus, patients as partners who have experienced addiction are needed to combat stigma and bias, and create impactful and translational research outcomes.