Screening for addictive disorders within a workers' compensation clinic: an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Addiction Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Workers' compensation (WC) clinics manage injuries and associated health issues.
• Substance use disorders (SUDs) can complicate injury recovery and treatment.
• Screening for SUDs in WC settings is not widely established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of addictive disorders among patients in a WC clinic.
• To assess the feasibility of implementing substance abuse screening in this setting.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009.
• 100 WC patients completed the Alcohol, Smoking, Substance Involvement Screening Test (WHO-ASSIST) and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM).

Main Results:

• 46% of patients required intervention for at least one substance-related disorder (25% tobacco, 23% sedatives, 8% opioids).
• 46% screened positive for prescription opioid misuse using the COMM.
• Screening was brief, economical, and well-accepted by patients.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of WC patients have substance-related disorders requiring intervention.
• Integrating SUD screening into WC clinics is feasible and well-tolerated.
• Further research on the cost-effectiveness of SUD detection and intervention in WC settings is warranted.