Western Australia remote aeromedical substance use disorders outcomes

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Rural Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Substance use disorders (SUDs) disproportionately affect regional Australians, who face significant barriers to accessing alcohol and other drugs (AODs) treatment.
• Aeromedical retrieval is a critical service for remote populations, but demographic and outcome data for SUD patients are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the demographics of patients aeromedically retrieved for SUDs from regional Western Australia.
• To compare hospital outcomes of these regional patients with a matched metropolitan cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-controlled cohort study.
• Analysis of aeromedical retrieval data for SUDs in Western Australia (July 2014–June 2019).
• Case-matching based on age and diagnosis, using descriptive statistics and chi-squared analysis.

Main Results:

• Aeromedically retrieved patients (n=136) were predominantly male (69.9%) and more likely to be Indigenous (OR 9.35), unemployed (OR 2.9), referred to tertiary care (OR 2.18), and have longer hospital stays (OR 1.08) than matched metropolitan controls (n=427).
• Amphetamine-type stimulants were prominent in the retrieval cohort.
• Regional variations in retrieval patterns were observed.

Conclusions:

• Unmarried/unemployed males, particularly Indigenous individuals, are overrepresented in aeromedical retrievals for SUDs.
• Healthcare services must prioritize culturally safe care for Indigenous populations and integrated AOD/mental health services for regional patients.
• Service design should address regional healthcare catchment needs and promote collaborative treatment approaches.