27 Nov Specialized Consults Can Link Hospitalized Patients To Outpatient Addiction Treatment
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Zoe Weinstein MD
Instructor, Boston University School of Medicine
Director of the Inpatient Addiction Consult Service
Boston Medical Center
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Substance use disorders are highly prevalent, especially among hospitalized patients, however substance use often goes unaddressed in the hospital setting, even if substance use is the underlying cause of the hospitalization (such as a blood stream infection from intravenous drug use).
This study reviews the experience of one hospital in starting an Addiction Consult Service to address substance use among hospitalized patients, and help connect them with long-term outpatient addiction treatment directly from the hospital.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: The main findings were that such a service is feasible, and was successfully able to link patients to long-term medication for addiction treatment, including methadone and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, even following patients for 180 days after leaving the hospital.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: Substance use disorders are deadly diseases which have effective, but under-used medical treatments. Hospitalization is a reachable moment to engage patients and link them to these effective treatments.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: More can be done to improve patient engagement in addiction treatment, as well as on linkage and retention in care. Investment and innovation is needed to engage and connect patients to these treatments, whether patients are in the hospital, the emergency room or a clinic.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
J Subst Abuse Treat. 2017 Aug;79:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2017.05.007. Epub 2017 May 11.
Addiction consultation services – Linking hospitalized patients to outpatient addiction treatment.
Trowbridge P1, Weinstein ZM2, Kerensky T2, Roy P2, Regan D2, Samet JH3, Walley AY2.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28673521
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Last Updated on May 16, 2025 by Marie Benz MD FAAD
