Emergency department-based peer support for opioid use disorder: Emergent functions and forms

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) are critical touchpoints for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).
• Peer support programs in EDs show promise for connecting patients to medication for addiction treatment and recovery services.
• Addressing the opioid crisis requires innovative, accessible treatment linkage strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the implementation and core functions of ED-based peer support programs for OUD.
• To identify variations in how these programs integrate peers, alert patients, and connect them to services.
• To inform future research and program development for ED-based OUD peer support.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of data from three states funded by SAMHSA Opioid State Targeted Response (STR) grants.
• General inductive approach used to analyze data and identify program functions.
• Focus on core functions: peer integration, patient alerting, and service connection.

Main Results:

• Peer integration varied by physical location, hiring, and supervision models.
• ED staff often alerted peers to eligible patients; non-peer staff frequently introduced patients to programs.
• Programs typically scheduled initial recovery appointments, with some offering additional support services.

Conclusions:

• ED-based peer support programs are a vital component of OUD treatment.
• Variations in program structure necessitate consistent reporting for future effectiveness evaluations.
• Standardized reporting on functional implementation will enhance understanding and replication of successful OUD peer support models.