Shorter outpatient wait-times for buprenorphine are associated with linkage to care post-hospital discharge

Real-world access to buprenorphine treatment in Philadelphia: A secret shopper study

PURPOSE

To assess real-world access to buprenorphine treatment in Philadelphia and measure adoption of policies and practices that facilitate buprenorphine access.

METHODS

We used an audit ("secret shopper") design to survey all programs providing longitudinal, outpatient buprenorphine in Philadelphia from 9/2022-1/2023 (n = 130). After validating eligibility, a research coordinator posing as a case manager called eligible programs to inquire about appointment availability and treatment policies. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the data and compared practices between primary and subspecialty treatment providers.

RESULTS

We reached 107 programs with audit calls (82 % response rate). 56 (52 %) were primary care offices and 51 (48 %) were specialty addiction providers. 96 (90 %) accepted new patients for buprenorphine treatment, and 83 (78 %) accepted insurance. Median time-to-appointment was 3 business days (range 0-120), and 42 % of visits were offered with a single call. Only 42 % of programs could confirm the possibility of a buprenorphine prescription at an initial visit. 48 % of programs could not provide information about requirements for counseling or behavioral health, and few could provide information about policies for patients with ongoing substance use. Specialty models were more likely than primary care programs to provide information about medication availability at the first visit but also were more likely to require counseling and abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides a simulation of real-world experiences accessing buprenorphine, revealing significant variability in treatment access and persistence of practice-level barriers to treatment. These findings can inform efforts to increase engagement and retention in treatment and better align care with evidence.

Exemplar Hospital Initiation Trial to Enhance Treatment Engagement (EXHIT ENTRE): protocol for CTN-0098 an open-label randomized comparative effectiveness trial of extended-release buprenorphine versus treatment as usual on post-hospital treatment engagement for hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder

BACKGROUND

Hospitalizations involving opioid use disorder (OUD) are increasing. Addiction consultation services (ACS) initiate medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in hospital settings and arrange post-hospital follow-up for ongoing MOUD care. Engagement in MOUD following hospital discharge is hampered by challenges in timely access to MOUD. This protocol describes an open-label randomized comparative effectiveness trial comparing ACS treatment as usual (TAU) to a single injection of a 28-day formulation extended-release buprenorphine (XR-BUP) on MOUD engagement 34-days following hospital discharge.

METHODS

Six U.S. hospitals with ACS capable of prescribing all MOUD (i.e., methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release naltrexone) recruit and randomize hospitalized patients with OUD who have not been on MOUD in the fourteen days prior to hospitalization. TAU may consist of any MOUD other than XR-BUP. Participants randomized to XR-BUP may receive any MOUD throughout their hospital stay and receive a 28-day XR-BUP injection within 72-hours of anticipated hospital discharge. There is no intervention beyond hospital stay. Participants are followed 34-, 90-, and 180-days following hospital discharge. The primary outcome is engagement in any MOUD 34-days following hospital discharge, which we hypothesize will be greater in the XR-BUP group. Randomizing 342 participants (171 per arm) provides 90% power to detect difference in the primary outcome between groups with an odds ratio of 2.1. Safety, secondary, and exploratory outcomes include: adverse events, MOUD engagement on days 90 and 180, opioid positive urine drug tests, self-reported drug use, hospital readmissions and emergency department visits, use of non-opioid drugs, fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose, all-cause mortality, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Data are analyzed by intention-to-treat, with pre-planned per-protocol and other secondary analyses that examine gender as an effect modifier, differences between groups, and impact of missingness.

DISCUSSION

Engagement in MOUD care following hospitalization in individuals with OUD is low. This randomized comparative effectiveness trial can inform hospital ACS in medication selection to improve MOUD engagement 34-days following hospital discharge.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT04345718.

Hospital Provider's Perspectives on MOUD Initiation and Continuation After Inpatient Discharge

BACKGROUND

Individuals with opioid use disorder have high rates of hospital admissions, which represent a critical opportunity to engage patients and initiate medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). However, few patients receive MOUD and, even if MOUD is initiated in the hospital, patients may encounter barriers to continuing MOUD in the community.

OBJECTIVE

Describe hospital providers' experiences and perspectives to inform initiatives and policies that support hospital-based MOUD initiation and continuation in community treatment programs.

DESIGN

As part of a broader implementation study focused on inpatient MOUD (NCT#04921787), we conducted semi-structured interviews with hospital providers.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-seven hospital providers from 12 community hospitals.

APPROACH

Thematic analysis examined an emergent topic on challenges transitioning patients to outpatient MOUD treatment and related impacts on MOUD initiation by inpatient providers.

KEY RESULTS

Participants described structural barriers to transitioning hospitalized patients to continuing outpatient MOUD including (a) limited outpatient buprenorphine prescriber availability, (b) the siloed nature of addiction treatment, and (c) long wait times. As a result of observing these structural barriers, participants experienced a sense of futility that deterred them from initiating MOUD. Participants proposed strategies that could better support these patient transitions, including developing partnerships between hospitals and outpatient addiction treatment and supporting in-reach services from community providers.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified concerns about inadequate and inaccessible community-based care and transition pathways that discouraged hospital providers from prescribing MOUD. As hospital-based opioid treatment models continue to expand, programmatic and policy strategies to support inpatient transitions to outpatient addiction treatment are needed.

NCT TRIAL NUMBER

04921787.

The addiction consultation service for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder: An integrative review of the evidence

INTRODUCTION

The Addiction Consultation Service has emerged as a model of care for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder. The aim of this integrative review is to characterize the Addiction Consultation Service in general hospital settings, assess its impact on clinical outcomes, identify knowledge gaps, and offer guidance for implementation.

METHODS

We conducted an integrative review of studies from January 2002 to August 2023, applying specific inclusion criteria to collect study design, service characteristics, staffing models, utilization, and health outcomes. Additionally, a comprehensive quality appraisal was conducted for all studies considered for inclusion.

RESULTS

Findings from 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria were synthesized and tabulated. Study designs included six reports from three randomized controlled trials, five descriptive studies, and 30 observational studies. The most common study setting was the urban academic medical center. Studies evaluated the structure, process, and outcomes of the Addiction Consultation Service. A majority of studies, particularly those utilizing more rigorous designs, reported positive outcomes involving medication initiation, linkage to post-discharge care, and utilization outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The Addiction Consultation Service care model improves quality of care for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder. Additional research is needed to assess its effectiveness across diverse medical settings, determine the effectiveness of varying staffing models, demonstrate impactful outcomes, and establish funding mechanisms to support sustainability.

Identifying facilitators and barriers to the uptake of medication for opioid use disorder in Washington, DC: A community-engaged concept mapping approach

INTRODUCTION

Opioid overdose is a major public health challenge. We aimed to understand facilitators and barriers to engagement in medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among persons with OUD in Washington, DC.

METHODS

We used a cross-sectional mixed-methods concept mapping approach to explore MOUD engagement between 2021-2022. Community members at-large generated 70 unique statements in response to the focus prompt: "What makes medication for opioid use disorder like buprenorphine (also known as Suboxone or Subutex) difficult to start or keep using?" Persons with OUD (n = 23) and service providers (n = 34) sorted and rated these statements by theme and importance. Data were analyzed with multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, producing thematic cluster maps. Results were validated by our community advisory board.

RESULTS

Seven themes emerged in response to the focus prompt: availability and accessibility; hopelessness and fear; unmet basic needs; characteristics of treatment programs; understanding and awareness of treatment; personal motivations, attitudes, and beliefs; and easier to use drugs. "Availability and accessibility," "hopelessness and fear," and "basic needs not being met" were the top three identified barriers to MOUD among consumers and providers; however, the order of these priorities differed between consumers and providers. There was a notable lack of communication and programming to address misconceptions about MOUD's efficacy, side effects, and cost. Stigma underscored many of the statements, showcasing its continued presence in clinical and social spaces.

CONCLUSIONS

This study distinguishes itself from other research on MOUD delivery and barriers by centering on community members and their lived experiences. Findings emphasize the need to expand access to treatment, dismantle stigma associated with substance use and MOUD, and address underlying circumstances that contribute to the profound sense of hopelessness and fear among persons with OUD-all of which will require collective action from consumers, providers, and the public.

LatinX harm reduction capital, medication for opioid use disorder, and nonfatal overdose: A structural equation model analysis among people who use drugs in Massachusetts

BACKGROUND

We introduce the concept of harm reduction capital (HRCap) as the combination of knowledge, resources, and skills related to substance use risk reduction, which we hypothesize to predict MOUD use and opioid overdose. In this study, we explored the interrelationships between ethnicity, HRCap, nonfatal overdose, and MOUD use among PWUD.

METHODS

Between 2017 and 2019, people who currently or in the past used opioids and who lived in Massachusetts completed a one-time survey on substance use history, treatment experiences, and use of harm reduction services. We fit first-order measurement constructs for positive and negative HRCap (facilitators and barriers). We used generalized structural equation models to examine the inter-relationships of the latent constructs with LatinX self-identification, past year overdose, and current use of MOUD.

RESULTS

HRCap barriers were positively associated with past-year overdose (b=2.6, p<0.05), and LatinX self-identification was inversely associated with HRCap facilitators (b=-0.49, p<0.05). There was no association between overdose in the past year and the current use of MOUD. LatinX self-identification was positively associated with last year methadone treatment (b=0.89, p<0.05) but negatively associated with last year buprenorphine treatment (b=-0.68, p<0.07). Latinx PWUD reported lower positive HRCap than white non-LatinX PWUD and had differential utilization of MOUD.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that a recent overdose was not associated with the current use of MOUD, highlighting a severe gap in treatment utilization among individuals at the highest risk. The concept of HRCap and its use in the model highlight substance use treatment differences, opportunities for intervention, and empowerment.

Waiting times disparities for medication-assisted therapy among opioid use disorder treatment population in the United States

Opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment has been described as beneficial in reducing the burden of OUD and its related complications. Thus far, there is a paucity of literature on the time-to-treatment differences from the period of seeking treatment to when the patient starts treatment. Hence, it is deemed a form of barrier to the accessibility of OUD treatment programs. We aim to study the relationship between accessibility for medication-assisted treatment and the disparity concerning days waiting to enter OUD treatment. The treatment episode data set (TEDS) was utilized for this study. The full sample of 2018 TEDS-D (N = 382,547) is representative of OUD patients that utilized SUD treatment facilities within the 50 states of the United States. Univariate and multivariable logistic analysis of the independent variables, and other covariates with the dependent variables were explored to estimate the adjusted odds ratio relationship. Medication-assisted opioid therapy use among respondents was significantly different with waiting 1-7 days [AOR = 1.321 (95% CI = 1.248-1.400)] and >7 days [AOR = 0.729 (95% CI = 0.665-0.799)] to enter OUD treatment compared to waiting for less than a day. Among adults seeking OUD treatment admissions, our study showed that waiting times vary with MAT use as there was early entry compared to >1week wait time. Similarly, significant associations were reported across different sociodemographic attributes except for biological sex.

Undertreatment of opioid use disorder in patients hospitalized with injection drug use-associated infections

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) initiation and addiction consultation and outcomes for patients hospitalized with infectious complications of injecting opioids.

METHOD

This was a retrospective cohort study performed at four academic medical centers in the United States. The participants were patients who had been hospitalized with infectious complications of injecting opioids in 2018. Three hundred and twenty-two patients were included and their individual patient records were manually reviewed to identify inpatient receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), initiation of MOUD, and addiction consultation. The main outcomes of interest were premature discharge, MOUD on discharge, linkage to outpatient MOUD, one-year readmission and death.

RESULTS

Three hundred and twenty-two patients were predominately male (59%), white (66%), and median age 38 years, with 36% unstably housed, and 30% uninsured. One hundred and forty-five (45%) patients received MOUD during hospitalization, including only 65 (28%) patients not on baseline MOUD. Discharge was premature for 64 (20%) patients. In the year following discharge, 27 (9%) patients were linked to MOUD, and 159 (50%) patients had at least one readmission. Being on MOUD during hospitalization was significantly associated with higher odds of planned discharge [odds ratio (OR) 3.87, P  < 0.0001], MOUD on discharge (OR 129.7, P  < 0.0001), and linkage to outpatient MOUD (OR 1.25, P  < 0.0001), however, was not associated with readmission. Study limitations were the retrospective nature of the study, so post-discharge data are likely underestimated.

CONCLUSION

There was dramatic undertreatment with MOUD from inpatient admission to outpatient linkage, and high rates of premature discharge and readmission. Engagement in addiction care during hospitalization is a critical first step in improving the care continuum for individuals with opioid use disorder; however, additional interventions may be needed to impact long-term outcomes like readmission.

Long-Term Effects of Increasing Buprenorphine Treatment Seeking, Duration, and Capacity on Opioid Overdose Fatalities: A Model-based Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Because buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder reduces opioid overdose deaths (OODs), expanding access to care is an important policy and clinical care goal. Policymakers must choose within capacity limitations whether to expand the number of people with opioid use disorder who are treated or extend duration for existing patients. This inherent tradeoff could be made less acute with expanded buprenorphine treatment capacity.

METHODS

To inform such decisions, we used a validated simulation model to project the effects of increasing buprenorphine treatment-seeking, average episode duration, and capacity (patients per provider) on OODs in the United States from 2023 to 2033, varying the start time to assess the effects of implementation delays.

RESULTS

Results show that increasing treatment duration alone could cost lives in the short term by reducing capacity for new admissions yet save more lives in the long term than accomplished by only increasing treatment seeking. Increasing provider capacity had negligible effects. The most effective 2-policy combination was increasing capacity and duration simultaneously, which would reduce OODs up to 18.6% over a decade. By 2033, the greatest reduction in OODs (≥20%) was achieved when capacity was doubled and average duration reached 2 years, but only if the policy changes started in 2023. Delaying even a year diminishes the benefits. Treatment-seeking increases were equally beneficial whether they began in 2023 or 2025 but of only marginal benefit beyond what capacity and duration achieved.

CONCLUSIONS

If policymakers only target 2 policies to reduce OODs, they should be to increase capacity and duration, enacted quickly and aggressively.

Peer recovery coaching for comprehensive HIV, hepatitis C, and opioid use disorder management: The CHORUS pilot study

Introduction

Amidst a surge in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in persons who use drugs, medications that effectively prevent HIV and treat opioid use disorder and HCV remain underutilized.

Methods

We developed a 6-month peer recovery coaching intervention (brief motivational interviewing followed by weekly virtual or in-person coaching) and collected data on uptake of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and HCV treatment. The primary outcomes were intervention acceptability and feasibility.

Results

At a Boston substance use disorder bridge clinic, we enrolled 31 HIV-negative patients who used opioids. Participants reported high intervention satisfaction at 6 months (95% "satisfied" or "very satisfied"). At study completion, 48% of the participants were on MOUD, 43% who met CDC guidelines were on PrEP, and 22% with HCV were engaged with treatment.

Conclusions

A peer recovery coaching intervention is feasible and acceptable, with positive preliminary findings regarding MOUD, PrEP and HCV treatment uptake.

A Better Life: Factors that Help and Hinder Entry and Retention in MAT from the Perspective of People in Recovery

Introduction

Opioid addiction and opioid-related overdoses and deaths are serious public health problems nationally and in West Virginia, in particular. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an effective yet underutilized treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).

Purpose

Research examining factors that help individuals succeed in MAT has been conducted from provider and program perspectives, but little research has been conducted from the perspective of those in recovery.

Methods

This study, co-developed with individuals in recovery, took place in West Virginia-based MAT programs using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach. The survey was open February through August 2021. Data were analyzed late 2021 through mid 2022.

Results

Respondents experienced many barriers to MAT entry and retention, including community bias / stigma, lack of affordable programming, and lack of transportation. Respondents sought MAT primarily for personal reasons, such as being tired of being sick, and tired of having to look for drugs every day. As one respondent shared, " I wanted to better my life, to get it under control."

Implications

Programs and policies should make it easy for individuals to enter treatment when ready, through affordable and accessible treatment options, reduced barriers to medications, focused outreach and education, individualized care, and reduced stigmatization.

OUD MEETS: A novel program to increase initiation of medications for opioid use disorder and improve outcomes for hospitalized patients being discharged to skilled nursing facilities

INTRODUCTION

Rates of hospitalizations from medical complications of opioid use disorder (OUD) are rising and many of these patients require post-acute care at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). However, access to medication for OUD (MOUD) at SNFs remains low and patients with OUD have high rates of patient-directed discharge (PDD) and hospital readmissions.

METHODS

Opioid Use Disorder Medical Patient Engagement, Enrollment in treatment and Transitional Supports (OUD MEETS) program was a clinical pilot designed to increase initiation of buprenorphine and methadone for hospitalized patients with OUD requiring post-acute care. The program comprises a hospital partnership with two SNFs and two opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to improve recovery supports and access to MOUD for patients discharged to SNF.

RESULTS

Between August 2019 and August 2020, study staff approached 49 hospitalized patients with OUD for participation in OUD MEETS. Twenty-eight of 30 eligible patients enrolled in the program and initiated buprenorphine or methadone. Twenty-seven (96 %) enrolled patients successfully completed hospital treatment. Twenty-three (85 %) patients successfully completed medical treatment at SNF. Thirteen (46 %) enrolled patients had confirmed linkage to OUD treatment post-SNF. One patient left the hospital (4 %) and four patients left SNF (15 %) via PDD.

CONCLUSION

OUD MEETS demonstrates feasibility of hospital, SNF, and OTP partnership to integrate MOUD treatment into SNFs, with high rates of completion of medical treatment and low rates of PDD. Future research should find sustainable ways to improve access to MOUD at post-acute care facilities, including through regulatory and policy changes.

Peer providers and linkage with buprenorphine care after hospitalization: A retrospective cohort study

Background: People with opioid use disorder (OUD) are increasingly started on buprenorphine in the hospital, yet many patients do not attend outpatient buprenorphine care after discharge. Peer providers, people in recovery themselves, are a growing part of addiction care. We examine whether patients who received a low-intensity, peer-delivered intervention during hospitalization had a greater rate of linking with outpatient buprenorphine care relative to those not seen by a peer. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adults with OUD who were started on buprenorphine during hospitalization. The primary outcome was receipt of a buprenorphine prescription within 30 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes included attendance at a follow-up visit with a buprenorphine provider within 30 days and hospital readmission within 90 days. Modified Poisson regression analyses tested for differences in the rate ratios (RR) of each binary outcome for patients who were versus were not seen by a peer provider. Peer notes in the electronic health record were reviewed to characterize peer activities. Results: 111 patients met the study inclusion criteria, 31.5% of whom saw a peer provider. 55.0% received a buprenorphine prescription within 30 days of hospital discharge. Patients with versus without peer provider encounters did not significantly differ in the rates of receiving a buprenorphine prescription (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.74-1.51), hospital readmission (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 0.80-2.64), or attendance at a buprenorphine follow-up visit (RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.68-1.57). Peers most often listened to or shared experiences with patients (68.6% of encounters) and helped facilitate medical care (60.0% of encounters). Conclusions: There were no differences in multiple measures of buprenorphine follow-up between patients who received this low-intensity peer intervention and those who did not. There is need to investigate what elements of peer provider programs contribute to patient outcomes and what outcomes should be assessed when evaluating peer programs.

A Taxonomy of Hospital-Based Addiction Care Models: a Scoping Review and Key Informant Interviews

BACKGROUND

There is pressing need to improve hospital-based addiction care. Various models for integrating substance use disorder care into hospital settings exist, but there is no framework for describing, selecting, or comparing models. We sought to fill that gap by constructing a taxonomy of hospital-based addiction care models based on scoping literature review and key informant interviews.

METHODS

Methods included a scoping review of the literature on US hospital-based addiction care models and interventions for adults, published between January 2000 and July 2021. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 key informants experienced in leading, implementing, evaluating, andpracticing hospital-based addiction care to explore model characteristics, including their perceived strengths, limitations, and implementation considerations. We synthesized findings from the literature review and interviews to construct a taxonomy of model types.

RESULTS

Searches identified 2,849 unique abstracts. Of these, we reviewed 280 full text articles, of which 76 were included in the final review. We added 8 references from reference lists and informant interviews, and 4 gray literature sources. We identified six distinct hospital-based addiction care models. Those classified as addiction consult models include (1) interprofessional addiction consult services, (2) psychiatry consult liaison services, and (3) individual consultant models. Those classified as practice-based models, wherein general hospital staff integrate addiction care into usual practice, include (4) hospital-based opioid treatment and (5) hospital-based alcohol treatment. The final type was (6) community-based in-reach, wherein community providers deliver care. Models vary in their target patient population, staffing, and core clinical and systems change activities. Limitations include that some models have overlapping characteristics and variable ways of delivering core components.

DISCUSSION

A taxonomy provides hospital clinicians and administrators, researchers, and policy-makers with a framework to describe, compare, and select models for implementing hospital-based addiction care and measure outcomes.

Management of opioid withdrawal and initiation of medications for opioid use disorder in the hospital setting

Opioid use disorder (OUD) has become increasingly prevalent among hospitalized patients in the United States and globally. As its prevalence increases, this provides a valuable opportunity for clinicians in the hospital setting to engage and initiate management and treatment of OUD. This article aims to provide hospitalists and other clinicians working in the hospital with a narrative review of the management of opioid withdrawal and the initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in the hospital and provide an update on a novel low dose approach to buprenorphine induction (also commonly referred to as the "microinduction" method). Management can initially include treating withdrawal symptoms with opioids as well as with a combination of non-opioid medications such as alpha 2 agonists, benzodiazepines, and/or antiemetics as needed. Besides simply managing withdrawal symptoms, clinicians can further improve the care of patients with OUD through initiating maintenance treatment with MOUD, ideally with opioids used in the initial management of withdrawal. Opioid detoxification is an inferior method of primary treatment and is associated with relapse and poor outcomes. In contrast, treatment with MOUD using methadone or buprenorphine is associated with superior treatment outcomes and reduced relapse compared to detoxification alone. Treatment with MOUD using methadone or buprenorphine can be successfully used in the hospital setting. A novel low dose approach to buprenorphine induction may be useful in minimizing precipitated withdrawals in patients who have recently used or received opioids, which makes this an attractive option in the hospital where patients are frequently on opioids for acutely painful conditions. The hospital setting also provides a valuable opportunity for clinicians to address harm reduction in patients with OUD. Finally, clinicians can improve the long-term outcomes of patients with OUD by ensuring a smooth discharge with adequate and timely follow-up.

Wait No Longer: Reducing Medication Wait-Times for Individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders

Objective: Community addiction treatment agencies have utilized Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx), a proven implementation strategy, to reduce appointment wait-times. However, its effectiveness at reducing medication access wait-times has not been explored. Thus, we conducted an exploratory analysis to evaluate the impact of the NIATx implementation strategies on reduced wait-times to addiction, psychotropic or both medications for individuals with co-occurring disorders (COD). Methods: In a cluster-randomized waitlist control group design, community addiction treatment agencies (n = 49) were randomized to receive the NIATx strategy (Cohort 1, n = 25) or to a Waitlist control (Cohort 2, n = 24). All agencies had a 12-month active intervention period. The primary outcome was the medication encounter wait-time. A univariate general linear model analysis utilizing a logarithmic (log10) transformation examined medication wait-times improvements. Results: The intent-to-treat analysis for psychotropic medications and both medications (reflecting integrated treatment) showed significant main effects for intervention and time, especially comparing Baseline and Year 1 to Year 2. Conversely, only the main effect for time was significant for addiction medications. Wait-time reductions in Cohort 1 agencies was delayed and occurred in the sustainment phase. Wait-times to a psychotropic, addiction, or both medications encounter declined by 3 days, 4.9 days, and 6.8 days, respectively. For Cohort 2 agencies, reduced wait-times were seen for psychotropic (3.4 days), addiction (6 days), and both medications (4.9 days) during their active implementation period. Same- or next-day medication access also improved. Conclusions: NIATx implementation strategies reduced medication encounter wait-times but timing of agency improvements varied. Despite a significant improvement, a three-week wait-time to receive integrated pharmacological interventions is clinically suboptimal for individuals with a COD in need of immediate intervention. Community addiction treatment agencies should identify barriers and implement changes to improve medication access so that their patients "wait no longer" to receive integrated treatment and medications for their COD.

Improving Medication Access within Integrated Treatment for Individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders in Substance Use Treatment Agencies

BACKGROUND

The best approach to provide comprehensive care for individuals with co-occurring disorders (CODs) related to substance use and mental health is to address both disorders through an integrated treatment approach. However, only 25% of behavioral health agencies offer integrated care and less than 7% of individuals who need integrated treatment receive it. A project used a cluster-randomized waitlist control group design to evaluate the effectiveness of Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) implementation strategies to improve access to addiction and psychotropic medications.

METHODS

This study represents a secondary analysis of data from the NIATx project. Forty-nine agencies were randomized to Cohort1 (active implementation group, receiving the NIATx strategy [n=25]) or Cohort2 (waitlist control group [n=24]). Data were collected at three time points (Baseline, Year1 and Year2). A two-level (patient within agency) multinomial logistic regression model investigated the effects of implementation strategy condition on one of four medication outcomes: both medication types, only psychotropic medication, only addiction medication, or neither medication type. A per-protocol analysis included time, NIATx fidelity, and agency focus as predictors.

RESULTS

The intent-to-treat analysis found a statistically significant change in access to addiction versus neither medication, but Cohort1 compared to Cohort2 at Year1 showed no differences. Changes were associated with the experimental intervention and occurred in the transition from Year 1 to Year 2, where greater increases were seen for agencies in Cohort2 versus Cohort1. The per-protocol analysis showed increased access to both medications and addiction medications from pre- to post-intervention for agencies in both cohorts; however, differences in change between high- and low-implementation agencies were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Access to integrated services for people with CODs is a long-standing problem. NIATx implementation strategies had limited effectiveness in improving medication access for individuals with CODs. Implementation strategy adherence is associated with increased medication access.