Author Interviews, Methamphetamine / 07.01.2017
Which Patients Stick With Office Based Opioid Treatment with Buprenorphine?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Zoe M. Weinstein MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University
Director, Addiction Consult Service
Boston Medical Center
Boston MA 02118
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Like other chronic, life-long medical conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, opioid use disorder (OUD) requires long-term engagement in therapy; however many individuals who participate in Office Based Addiction Treatment are not able to be retained in care long-term.
This observational study followed more than 1,200 patients over 12 years with the goal of identifying patient-specific factors associated with retention in the treatment program for longer than one year. While the study found that older age, female, and co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis were associated with greater odds of treatment retention beyond one year, patients who were black or Hispanic, unemployed, and had evidence of hepatitis C viral infection were associated with decreased odds of treatment retention beyond one year.
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