Emergency Department-Based Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Program: Addressing Gaps in Linkages to Care

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Emergency department (ED)-based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) offers accessible treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).
• Social determinants of health (SDOH) can influence treatment retention in OUD programs.
• Understanding patient perspectives on SDOH is crucial for program improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the social determinants of health (SDOH) impacting patients in an ED-based MOUD program.
• To assess patient perspectives on program benefits and barriers.
• To identify factors influencing treatment retention.

Main Methods:

• Surveys were conducted with patients entering ED-based MOUD programs at hospital and free-standing EDs.
• Addiction care coordinators (ACCs) used standardized tools for enrollment.
• Trained research coordinators collected data on SDOH and patient feedback via individual and focus group surveys.

Main Results:

• 19 out of 60 (32%) OUD patients participated; 16 completed surveys.
• Participants reported ACCs were helpful (94%) and the MOUD program aided withdrawal and recovery.
• Nearly 40% faced transportation and financial barriers.

Conclusions:

• ED-based MOUD programs and ACCs are beneficial for OUD treatment initiation.
• Addressing SDOH, particularly transportation and financial issues, can enhance patient engagement and retention.
• MOUD programs can overcome healthcare system reluctance by mitigating patient-identified barriers.