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Richardson C, Daniels K, Confer A, Saxon AJ, Gordon AJ, Liberto J, Albanese AP, Renner J, Edens E, Kennedy AJ. Internal Medicine Resident Addiction Training at the Veteran's Health Administration: A Qualitative Evaluation of Site Directors' Response to the 2022 ACGME Requirements. J Gen Intern Med 2024; 39:1393-1399. [PMID: 38302815 PMCID: PMC11169109 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-08639-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent in the USA yet remain dramatically undertreated. To address this care gap, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved revisions to the Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education (GME) in Internal Medicine, effective July 1, 2022, requiring addiction medicine training for all internal medicine (IM) residents. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is a clinical training site for many academic institutions that sponsor IM residencies. This focus group project evaluated VHA IM residency site directors' perspectives about providing addiction medical education within VHA IM training sites. OBJECTIVE To better understand the current state, barriers to, and facilitators of IM resident addiction medicine training at VHA sites. DESIGN This was a qualitative evaluation based on semi-structured video-based focus groups. PARTICIPANTS Participants were VHA IM site directors based at a VHA hospital or clinic throughout the USA. APPROACH Focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured group interview guide. Two investigators coded each focus group independently, then met to create a final adjudicated coding scheme. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. KEY RESULTS Forty-three participants from 38 VHA sites participated in four focus groups (average size: 11 participants). Six themes were identified within four pre-defined categories. Current state of training: most VHA sites offered no formal training in addiction medicine for IM residents. Barriers: addiction experts are often located outside of IM settings, and ACGME requirements were non-specific. Facilitators: clinical champions help support addiction training. Desired next steps: participants desired incentives to train or hire local champions and a pre-packaged didactic curriculum. CONCLUSIONS Developing competent clinical champions and leveraging VHA addiction specialists from non-IM settings would create more addiction training opportunities for IM trainees at VHA sites. These insights can likely be applied to IM training at non-VHA sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Richardson
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karin Daniels
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Andrea Confer
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Andrew J Saxon
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam J Gordon
- Vulnerable Veteran Innovative Patient-Aligned-Care-Team (VIP) Initiative, Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center, Salt Lake City Health Care System, Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Joseph Liberto
- Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Substance Use Disorders, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anthony P Albanese
- VA Northern California Healthcare System, UC Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - John Renner
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellen Edens
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Amy J Kennedy
- VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Schuler MS, Dick AW, Gordon AJ, Saloner B, Kerber R, Stein BD. Growing importance of high-volume buprenorphine prescribers in OUD treatment: 2009-2018. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 259:111290. [PMID: 38678682 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We examined the number and characteristics of high-volume buprenorphine prescribers and the nature of their buprenorphine prescribing from 2009 to 2018. METHODS In this observational cohort study, IQVIA Real World retail pharmacy claims data were used to characterize trends in high-volume buprenorphine prescribers (clinicians with a mean of 30 or more active patients in every month that they were an active prescriber) during 2009-2018. Very high-volume prescribing (mean of 100+ patients per month) was also examined. RESULTS Overall, 94,491 clinicians prescribed buprenorphine dispensed during 2009-2018. The proportion of active prescribers meeting high-volume criteria increased from 7.4 % in 2009 to 16.7 % in 2018. High-volume prescribers accounted for 80 % of dispensed buprenorphine prescriptions during 2009-2018; very high-volume prescribers accounted for 26 %. Adult primary care physicians consistently comprised the majority of high-volume prescribers. Addiction specialists were much more likely to be high-volume prescribers compared to other specialties, including psychiatrists and pain specialists. By 2018, the proportion of prescriptions from high-volume prescribers paid by Medicaid had doubled to 40 %, accompanied by a decline in both self-pay and commercial insurance. High-volume prescribers were overwhelmingly concentrated in urban counties with the highest fatal overdose rates. In 2018, the highest density of high-volume prescribers was in New England and the mid-Atlantic region. CONCLUSIONS Growth in high-volume prescribers outpaced the overall growth in buprenorphine prescribers across 2009-2018. High-volume prescribers play an increasingly central role in providing medication for OUD in the U.S., yet results indicate key regional variation in the availability of high-volume buprenorphine prescribers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S Schuler
- RAND Corporation, 1200 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA 22202, USA.
| | - Andrew W Dick
- RAND Corporation, 20 Park Plaza #920, Boston, MA 022, USA
| | - Adam J Gordon
- Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge and Advocacy (PARCKA), Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, 30 N 1900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Brendan Saloner
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rose Kerber
- RAND Corporation, 20 Park Plaza #920, Boston, MA 022, USA
| | - Bradley D Stein
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Ave #600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Jammoul M, Jammoul D, Wang KK, Kobeissy F, Depalma RG. Traumatic Brain Injury and Opioids: Twin Plagues of the Twenty-First Century. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:6-14. [PMID: 37217015 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and opioid use disorder (OUD) comprise twin plagues causing considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. As interactions between TBI and OUD are to our knowledge uncharted, we review the possible mechanisms by which TBI may stimulate the development of OUD and discuss the interaction or crosstalk between these two processes. Central nervous system damage due to TBI appears to drive adverse effects of subsequent OUD and opioid use/misuse affecting several molecular pathways. Pain, a neurological consequence of TBI, is a risk factor that increases the likelihood of opioid use/misuse after TBI. Other comorbidities including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sleep disturbances are also associated with deleterious outcomes. We examine the hypothesis that a TBI "first hit" induces a neuroinflammatory process involving microglial priming, which, on a second hit related to opioid exposure, exacerbates neuroinflammation, modifies synaptic plasticity, and spreads tau aggregates to promote neurodegeneration. As TBI also impairs myelin repair by oligodendrocytes, it may reduce or degrade white matter integrity in the reward circuit resulting in behavioral changes. Along with approaches focused on specific patient symptoms, understanding the CNS effects following TBI offers a promise of improved management for individuals with OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Jammoul
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dareen Jammoul
- Anesthesiology Department, Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Kevin K Wang
- Center for Neurotrauma, MultiOmics & Biomarkers, Department of Neurobiology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
| | - Firas Kobeissy
- Center for Neurotrauma, MultiOmics & Biomarkers, Department of Neurobiology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Ralph G Depalma
- Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC; Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
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Tierney M, Castillo E, Leonard A, Huang E. Closing the Opioid Treatment Gap Through Advance Practice Nursing Activation: Curricular Design and Initial Outcomes. J Addict Nurs 2023; 34:240-250. [PMID: 38015575 DOI: 10.1097/jan.0000000000000547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Buprenorphine, an effective medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), reduces opioid-related harms including overdose, but a significant gap exists between MOUD need and treatment, especially for marginalized populations. Historically, low MOUD treatment capacity is rising, driven by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). A graduate nursing course was designed to increase equitable buprenorphine treatment delivery by APRNs. We report on baseline findings of a curriculum evaluation study with a pretest-posttest design. DESIGN Computerized surveys assessed trainee satisfaction with the course, trainee knowledge for providing MOUD, and trainee satisfaction in working with people who use drugs. METHODS Quantitative survey results utilizing Likert scales are presented. RESULTS Baseline precourse surveys revealed less than half (44%) of APRN students agreed/strongly agreed that they had a working knowledge of drugs and drug-related problems and 37% agreed/strongly agreed that they knew enough about the causes of drug problems to carry out their roles when working with people who use drugs. Approximately two thirds of APRN students agreed/strongly agreed that they want to work with people who use drugs (63%), that it is satisfying to work with people who use drugs (66%), and that it is rewarding to work with people who use drugs (63%). Nearly all students reported high satisfaction with the course. CONCLUSION APRN students reported high satisfaction with a novel course grounded in health equity that has potential to reduce health disparities and accelerate the closure of the MOUD treatment gap, particularly for racial/ethnic minorities, rural populations, and transition-age youth.
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Gordon AJ, Saxon AJ, Kertesz S, Wyse JJ, Manhapra A, Lin LA, Chen W, Hansen J, Pinnell D, Huynh T, Baylis JD, Cunningham FE, Ghitza UE, Bart G, Yu H, Sauer BC. Buprenorphine use and courses of care for opioid use disorder treatment within the Veterans Health Administration. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 248:109902. [PMID: 37196572 PMCID: PMC10875624 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retention of patients in buprenorphine medication treatment for opioid use disorder (B-MOUD) reduces harms associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). We sought to characterize the patients receiving B-MOUD and courses of B-MOUD in a large healthcare system. METHODS We conducted a retrospective, open cohort study of patients with OUD who either did or did not receive B-MOUD courses within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) from January 2006 through July 2019, using VHA clinical data. We compared patients receiving or not receiving B-MOUD, characterized B-MOUD courses (e.g., length and doses), and examined persistence, across patient characteristics, over time. We used analyses for normally or non-normally distributed continuous variables, categorical data, and persistence over time (Kaplan-Meier persistence curves). RESULTS We identified 255,726 Veterans with OUD; 40,431 (15.8%) had received 63,929 B-MOUD courses. Compared to patients with OUD without B-MOUD, patients with B-MOUD were younger, more often of white race, and had more co-morbidities. The frequency of new B-MOUD starts and prevalent B-MOUD patients ranged from 1550 and 1989 in 2007 to 8146 and 16,505 in 2018, respectively. The median duration of B-MOUD was 157 (IQR: 37-537) days for all courses and 33.8% patients had more than one course. The average proportion days covered was 90% (SD: 0.15), and the average prescribed daily dose was 13.44 (SD: 6.5). CONCLUSIONS Within a VHA B-MOUD cohort, courses increased more than 10-fold from 2006 to 2016 with nearly half of patients experiencing multiple courses. Patient demographics seem to dictate the length of courses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Gordon
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Andrew J Saxon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education (CESATE), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stefan Kertesz
- Birmingham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Medicine, Heersink UAB School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jessica J Wyse
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health CareSystem, Portland, OR, USA; School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University,PortlandOR, USA
| | - Ajay Manhapra
- Section of Pain Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services, Hampton VA Medical Center, Hampton, VA, USA
| | - Lewei A Lin
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR), VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jared Hansen
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Derek Pinnell
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tina Huynh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jacob D Baylis
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Udi E Ghitza
- Center for the Clinical Trials Network (CCTN), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gavin Bart
- Hennepin Healthcare, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hong Yu
- Center for Biomedical and Health Research in Data Sciences and Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA; Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Brian C Sauer
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Informatics, Decision Enhancement, and Analytics Science (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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