The mixed message behind "Medication-Assisted Treatment" for substance use disorder

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Public Health

Background:

• A significant gap exists between the need for and utilization of substance use disorder (SUD) treatments.
• Current approaches to bridge this gap focus on increasing services and integration, but may overlook the impact of service labeling.
• A consumer-based healthcare model suggests that product (treatment) labeling significantly influences consumer (patient) choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose that clearer, more transparent service labels can improve treatment utilization for SUDs.
• To analyze how current labels, such as Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), may inadvertently contribute to underutilization.
• To advocate for revised terminology to reduce stigma and enhance understanding of effective SUD treatments.

Main Methods:

• This is a perspective piece, analyzing existing terminology within a consumer-based healthcare framework.
• It critically examines labels like Addiction-focused Medical Management and Medication-Assisted Therapy for opioid-use disorder (OUD).
• It proposes a shift in language, advocating for the term "medication" to describe pharmacotherapy for SUDs.

Main Results:

• Labels such as "Medication-Assisted Therapy" for OUD are inherently confusing and may imply pharmacotherapy is secondary.
• This confusing messaging can reinforce stigma against effective pharmacotherapy for OUD.
• The current opioid epidemic highlights the concern of these potentially detrimental labels.

Conclusions:

• More effective and transparent labeling of SUD services is crucial for improving treatment utilization.
• The term "Medication-Assisted Therapy" for OUD is problematic and contributes to stigma.
• Referring to SUD pharmacotherapy simply as "medication" offers clarity, precision, and aligns with terminology for other chronic conditions.