Project Overview
The data from this study are part of a broader project examining the challenges of the opioid epidemic, which is sequential and ongoing since 2017. This study extends administrative burden research—which looks at an individual’s experience of policy as onerous—into the submerged state, or the private actors working on behalf of a public purpose. Specifically, it examines the effect that meso-level burdens on third-party providers have on services.
The key research question driving this study is: What effect do provider burdens have on the services they provide and clients they serve?
The study draws on interviews, participant observation, and focus groups with substance-use disorder (SUD) service providers in New York State to map provider burdens and how they affect services that third parties offer. The provider data is supplemented with data from clients and their families about their experience with services.
Data and Data Collection Overview
First, the researchers conducted open-ended interviews with 92 nongovernmental service providers in New York State, choosing providers representative of geography (urban, suburban, and rural), size, and type of services offered. The researchers asked about what problems interviewees encountered, what worked well for them, what did not work well, and what they would like policymakers to know. Interviews lasted between 30 minutes and two hours. The researchers asked for permission to audio record. For those who did not want to be recorded, the authors took handwritten notes.
Second, the authors collected data through participant observation at eight opioid-related meetings (three task forces, three statewide meetings, and two forums) and seven tours of health facilities, where they took notes by hand. Participant observation provided general context for many of the statements the researchers heard in interviews, allowing them to see firsthand how providers interacted with others and how policies in place were translated into concrete experiences for clients. All participant observation and most interviews were conducted in-person (some interviews were over the phone due to distance or COVID-19) between November 30, 2017 and April 26, 2022.
Third, to capture how unprecedented policy changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the landscape and perceptions of burdens, the researchers partnered with the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State (ASAP) to hold eight focus groups with 78 providers (74 unique individuals) in the summer of 2020. Each group included between seven and 13 participants. ASAP chose a representative sample based on geography, size, and type of services.
Shared Data Organization
The full transcripts from this project cannot be shared because such a release was not addressed explicitly in either the ethics board approval or in the participant consent. Instead, the data deposit consists of two files with selected de-identified quotes, from individual interviews and focus groups, respectively, that substantially illustrate the main themes related to administrative burdens.
Additionally, the deposit documentation consists of the partner research plan, focus group guides, recruitment notice, informed consent, interview guide, a report compiled by the authors for NYASAP, methodological details regarding the analytical approach, this Data Narrative and an administrative README file. |
