Improving Quality of Care for SUDS: Where Do We Go From Here?

: Initiation and engagement (IET), a process quality indicator for the treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), has been associated with better treatment outcomes and has been part of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set for over a decade. However, nationally, IET rates tend to be low and not improving. Integration may be a promising way to improve IET and quality of care, as suggested by the findings. To guarantee that integration is a truly effective mechanism for improving patient engagement and quality would likely require providing clinicians and other primary care providers with additional support and training on SUDs and treatment, and ensure that everyone, regardless of demographic characteristics, can equally benefit from these system level changes.