Implementing hospital-based peer recovery support services for substance use disorder

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Background:

• Rising drug overdose deaths in the U.S. highlight the need for innovative harm reduction strategies.
• Peer recovery support services (PRSS) for substance use disorder (SUD) are increasingly implemented in clinical and community settings.
• Hospital-based PRSS offer a novel approach to support individuals with SUD within acute care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of hospital-based peer recovery support services for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD).
• To report on program, patient, and referral characteristics of a Peer Recovery Program.
• To analyze process measures related to the delivery of PRSS in emergency departments and inpatient settings.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive analysis of the Peer Recovery Program implemented across 20 hospitals.
• Inclusion of data on program operations, patient demographics, and referral patterns.
• Reporting of process measures including referral volume, patient acceptance rates, response times, and follow-up contacts.

Main Results:

• The Peer Recovery Program received referrals for 30,263 patient visits between 2016 and 2019.
• Patient acceptance of continued recovery support services ranged from 74.8% to 83.0%.
• Median response time to patient bedside was 8 minutes, with a median consultation duration of 35 minutes. Over 113,000 follow-up contacts were made, leading to 4,696 accepted referrals for treatment and support services.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-based peer recovery support services for substance use disorder are feasible in emergency and inpatient settings.
• The program demonstrated high patient engagement and timely intervention.
• Further research is required to establish evidence of improved patient outcomes to support widespread adoption of these services.