Emergency department utilization by individuals with opioid use disorder who were recently incarcerated

Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) are highly represented among the incarcerated population and are frequent utilizers of the emergency department (ED). Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are a recognized treatment option for individuals with OUD. Although the field recognizes the benefits of MOUD, we know little about what mitigating effects MOUD offered in jail might have on post-release ED utilization.

In this retrospective cohort analysis, we searched electronic medical records (EMR) for incarcerations in the Santa Clara County jail between 8/1/2019 and 8/31/2021 for individuals with OUD (N = 4352) and collected demographic and medication administration data for these individuals. Individuals are considered as having received MOUD if they have at least one administration of methadone, naltrexone, or extended release (XR) buprenorphine during their incarceration. We also collected ED visit data from the same EMR for the 28 days following release from the identified incarcerations. Using logistic regression, we compared ED use within 24 h and 28 days for individuals who are incarcerated and treated with MOUD with those not receiving treatment.

Individuals who received methadone or XR buprenorphine during their incarceration were less likely to present at the 28 days following release than those not receiving treatment, after controlling for age, race, sex assigned at birth, preferred language, and housing status. Most individuals accessing the ED within 28 days of release do so within the first seven days, and the greatest volume occurred in the first 24 h. Individuals released before noon had a lower likelihood of ED presentation within 24 h than those released in the afternoon.

Offering methadone and XR buprenorphine to individuals with OUD who are incarcerated is beneficial in mitigating ED utilization within 28 days of release, although further research is needed to understand what other contributing variables, especially those related to follow-up care, could be influencing these results. If possible, release times for individuals could be shifted to the morning to maximize reduction in ED use within 24 h of release. Alternatively, further research should investigate why release times appear to influence ED utilization.