- A study published in JAMA Network Open found that individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) had significant annual declines in SUD-related emergency department use over five years compared with patients who received “usual care.” The study notes that SUD patients may have difficulty establishing a rapport with PCPs and that privacy laws and policies restricting health information sharing may impede addiction treatment staff’s ability to coordinate follow-up with PCPs. The authors state that interventions are needed to improve patients’ engagement with the health care system during and after addiction treatment, both “by enhancing integration across addiction and primary care services and by fostering a stronger, recovery-focused partnership between patients and primary care practitioners.” (Study here)
November 18, 2022
Opioid/Substance Use Disorders