Patients' perspectives on care management services for complex substance use disorders

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Complex substance use disorders (SUDs) present significant challenges, including high healthcare costs and utilization.
• Care management models offer potential benefits but patient perspectives on engagement are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient-reported barriers and facilitators to engagement in care management services for complex SUDs.
• To understand patient experiences within a specific Care Management Model.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study involving semi-structured interviews with 22 men with complex SUDs.
• Interviews conducted at 1 and 3 months post-baseline, analyzed using template analysis.

Main Results:

• Key themes included treatment barriers, service facilitators, patient-provider relationships, patient factors, and model enhancements.
• Positive engagement drivers: strong patient-provider relationships, personalized/flexible treatment, recovery focus over abstinence.
• Identified needs: enhanced outreach, housing, and transportation assistance.

Conclusions:

• Patient perspectives validate core care management elements and highlight needs for supportive services.
• Further research is essential to confirm the impact of care management on retention, outcomes, and healthcare utilization in complex SUD populations.