Inadequate prenatal care utilization among women with and without methadone-treated opioid use disorders in Taiwan

Association between socioeconomic and motherhood characteristics with receiving community-based treatment services among justice-involved young female drug users: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Drug-involved individuals who contact treatment services in Taiwan are mostly driven by criminal justice systems either as an alternative or adjunct to criminal sanctions for a drug offence. With a focus on justice-involved young female drug users, the present study examines the extent to which socioeconomic and motherhood characteristics are associated with receiving deferred prosecution, a scheme diverting drug offenders to community-based addiction treatment.

METHODS

We identified a cohort of 5869 women under the age of 30 arrested for using Schedule II drugs (primarily amphetamine-like stimulants) from the 2011-2017 National Police Criminal Records in Taiwan. Information concerning socioeconomic characteristics, pregnancy and live birth history, and deferred prosecution was obtained through linkage with the 2006-2019 National Health Insurance, birth registration, and deferred prosecution datasets. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the association with stratification by recidivism status.

RESULTS

Within six months of arrest, 21% of first-time offenders (n = 2645) received deferred prosecution and 23% received correction-based rehabilitation; the corresponding estimates for recidivists (n = 3224) were 6% and 15%, respectively. Among first-time offenders, low/unstable income was associated with lower odds of deferred prosecution (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.88). For recidivists, those with low/unstable income (aOR = 1.58) or unemployment (aOR = 1.58) had higher odds of correction-based rehabilitation; being pregnant at arrest was linked with reduced odds of deferred prosecution (aOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.71) and correction-based rehabilitation (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.77).

CONCLUSIONS

For the young women arrested for drug offences, disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions were generally unfavored by the diversion to treatment in the community. Childbearing upon arrest may lower not only the odds of receiving medical treatment but also correctional intervention. The criminal prosecution policy and process should be informed by female drug offenders' need for treatment and recovery.

Partnering for the future clinic: A multidisciplinary perinatal substance use program

OBJECTIVE

The current model of obstetric care does not integrate multiple subspecialty services for high-risk pregnancies with substance use disorder (SUD), resulting in fragmented care. We describe the framework of our multidisciplinary and integrated perinatal substance use clinic and provide recent clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We detail the Partnering for the Future (PFF) clinic, which integrates numerous subspecialty and support services for patients with SUDs and complex mental health needs. Additionally, a retrospective chart review of patients receiving care in the PFF clinic from 2017 to 2021 was completed.

RESULTS

Seven integrated services are detailed with a focus on reducing stigma, providing trauma-informed care and mitigating harm. During the study period, 182 patients received care in PFF clinic, with opioid use disorder the most common indication for care. Co-occurring mental illness was common (81%). NICU admissions and severe NOWS diagnosis declined after the implementation of Eat-Sleep-Console. Social services identified care coordination, transportation assistance and adjustment counseling as the most common needs. A novel virtual behavioral health consultation service was successfully launched.

CONCLUSIONS

Our integrated care model supports the holistic care of pregnant people with SUD and mental health disease. Patient-centered care and co-located services have improved perinatal outcomes, particularly for opioid-exposed pregnancies.

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #21: Breastfeeding in the Setting of Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder (Revised 2023)

Background: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) revised the 2015 version of the substance use disorder (SUD) clinical protocol to review the evidence and provide updated literature-based recommendations related to breastfeeding in the setting of substance use and SUD treatments. Key Information: Decisions around breastfeeding are an important aspect of care during the peripartum period, and there are specific benefits and risks for substance-exposed mother-infant dyads. Recommendations: This protocol provides breastfeeding recommendations in the setting of nonprescribed opioid, stimulant, sedative-hypnotic, alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use, and SUD treatments. Additionally, we offer guidance on the utility of toxicology testing in breastfeeding recommendations. Individual programs and institutions should establish consistent breastfeeding approaches that mitigate bias, facilitate consistency, and empower mothers with SUD. For specific breastfeeding recommendations, given the complexity of breastfeeding in mothers with SUD, individualized care plans should be created in partnership with the patient and multidisciplinary team with appropriate clinical support and follow-up. In general, breastfeeding is recommended among mothers who stop nonprescribed substance use by the time of delivery, and they should continue to receive ongoing postpartum care, such as lactation support and SUD treatment. Overall, enhancing breastfeeding education regarding substance use in pregnancy and lactation is essential to allow for patient-centered guidance.

Trends in the severity of opioid use disorder during pregnancy over time

OBJECTIVE

Characterize severity of opioid use disorder during pregnancy over time.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective chart review of pregnant women presenting to MetroHealth's Mother and Child Dependency program from 2002-2019 was performed. Severity of opioid use disorder was assessed by multinomial multivariable logistic regression of five discrete measures. Term birth rates and MAT use were analyzed using univariate regression.

RESULTS

606 women were included in this study. Duration of use, age at first use, polysubstance use, and route of administration did not significantly change over time. Significantly more women reported high use (>1 g daily) over time compared to low use (<0.5 g daily) (RRR = 1.21, p < 0.01). Buprenorphine use increased compared to methadone use (RRR = 1.54, p < 0.001). Rate of full-term delivery increased (RRR = 1.14, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Severity of opioid use disorder during pregnancy did not change over time. An increase in term births and preference for buprenorphine were observed.

Augmentation in Healthcare Utilization of Patients with Opioid Use Disorder After Methadone Maintenance Treatment: A Retrospective Nationwide Study

INTRODUCTION

The health benefits of entering methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid-dependent persons may not be merely limited to therapy of opioid use disorder. We aimed to compare the healthcare utilization of MMT patients before and after MMT.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed using the Taiwan Illicit Drug Issue Database and the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) between 2014 and 2016. We included 1255 newly enrolled MMT patients in 2015 and randomly selected 5020 patients from NHIRD matched by age and gender as the comparison group. Changes in healthcare utilization 1 year before and 1 year after the date of the index date (MMT initiation) were compared within and between MMT and comparison groups.

RESULTS

During the 1-year period following MMT, the hospitalization length was considerably decreased, while the number of outpatient visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and ED expenditure significantly increased in MMT patients. Multivariable linear regression with the difference-in-difference approach revealed that all the categories of healthcare utilization increased, except for a minor increase of outpatient expenditure and a slight decrease of hospitalization length for the MMT group relative to the comparison group. Increases in utilization of the departments of psychiatry and infectious diseases of the MMT patients were considerable.

CONCLUSION

MMT is associated with increased healthcare utilization, and departments of psychiatry and infectious diseases play substantial roles. Policy-makers should warrant access for all who need healthcare by ensuring the availability of the treatment for drug dependence.

"They're not doing enough.": women's experiences with opioids and naloxone in Toronto

BACKGROUND

Amid increasing opioid overdose deaths in Canada since 2010 and a changing naloxone access landscape, there is a need for up-to-date research on Canadian women's experiences with opioids. Studies on Canadian take-home naloxone programs are promising, but research beyond these programs is limited. Our study is the first to focus on women's experiences and perspectives on the opioid crisis in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, since the opioid crisis began in 2010.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to address research knowledge gaps involving Canadian women with criminal justice involvement who use opioids, and identify flaws in current policies, responses, and practices. While the opioid overdose crisis persists, this lack of research inhibits our ability to determine whether overdose prevention efforts, especially involving naloxone, are meeting their needs.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews from January to April 2018 with 10 women with experience of opioid use. They were recruited through the study's community partner in Toronto. Participants provided demographic information, experiences with opioids and naloxone, and their perceptions of the Canadian government's responses to the opioid crisis. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and inductive thematic analysis was conducted to determine major themes within the data.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis identified seven major concerns despite significant differences in participant life and opioid use experiences. Participants who had used illicit opioids since naloxone became available over-the-counter in 2016 were much more knowledgeable about naloxone than participants who had only used opioids prior to 2016. The portability, dosage form, and effects of naloxone are important considerations for women who use opioids. Social alienation, violence, and isolation affect the wellbeing of women who use opioids. The Canadian government's response to the opioid crisis was perceived as inadequate. Participants demonstrated differing needs and views on ideal harm reduction approaches, despite facing similar structural issues surrounding stigma, addiction management, and housing.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants experienced with naloxone use found it to be useful in preventing fatal overdose, however many of their needs with regards to physical, mental, and social health, housing, harm reduction, and access to opioid treatment remained unmet.

Subclinical and Overt Newborn Opioid Exposure: Prevalence and First-Year Healthcare Utilization

OBJECTIVES

To categorize newborn infants in Hamilton County, Ohio by late pregnancy fetal opioid exposure status and to assess their first-year healthcare utilization.

STUDY DESIGN

We used a population-based cohort of 41 136 live births from 2014-2017 and analyzed healthcare encounters in the first year of life from electronic health records. We prospectively assessed for the presence of opioids in maternal urine collected at delivery and for a diagnosis of newborn neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). At birth, infants were classified as unexposed to opioids, exposed to opioids and diagnosed with NAS, or subclinically exposed to opioids (exposure that did not result in NAS).

RESULTS

The prevalence of newborn opioid exposure was 37 per 1000 births. The duration of the hospital birth encounter was significantly longer for infants with subclinical exposure compared with unexposed infants (10% increase; 95% CI, 7%-13%). However, duration for infants with subclinical exposure was shorter compared to those with NAS. Neither subclinical exposure nor NAS was associated with total emergency department visits. Subclinical exposure was associated with increased odds of having at least 1 hospitalization in the first year. However, the total length of stay for hospitalizations was 82% that of the unexposed group (95% CI, 75%-89%). Infants with NAS had a 213% longer total length of stay compared with the unexposed group (95% CI, 191%-237%).

CONCLUSIONS

Subclinical and overt opioid exposure among newborn infants was associated with increased first-year healthcare utilization. From 2014 to 2017, this cost the Hamilton County healthcare system an estimated $1 109 452 for longer birth encounters alone.