Infectious Disease Screening in Substance Use Treatment Programs Shows Dramatic Increases in Detection and Prevention
Key Insights
A University of Pennsylvania study demonstrated that embedding infectious disease screening within inpatient substance use disorder (search) treatment programs increased screening rates from 6.1% to 90.3% for hepatitis A (search) and similar dramatic improvements for other infections.
The intervention involved an infectious disease-trained nurse navigator who guided patients through HIV (search) and hepatitis testing, obtained STI and tuberculosis exposure history, and offered prophylaxis and treatment as appropriate.
Vaccination rates improved significantly, with hepatitis A (search) vaccination rising from 0% to 58% and hepatitis B (search) vaccination from 0% to 71% in the intervention group.
People with substance use disorder (search) face significantly elevated risks of infectious diseases, yet screening rates remain inadequate in traditional treatment settings. A new effectiveness study from the University of Pennsylvania Health System demonstrates that embedding comprehensive infectious disease screening within inpatient substance use disorder programs can dramatically increase detection and prevention of hepatitis, HIV (search), tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections.
The research, published in July 2025, evaluated an intervention at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (search)'s 18-bed inpatient substance use disorder (search) program. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (search), substance use disorder affects approximately one in six people in the US, with this population facing increased risk of infectious diseases that can continue circulating in marginalized communities due to reduced healthcare access.
Intervention Design and Implementation
The study compared two distinct phases of care delivery. During the "usual care" period from September 2021 to June 2022, infectious disease screening followed standard protocols at the discretion of admitting providers alongside routine hepatitis C (search) screening. The intervention phase, conducted between September 2022 and June 2023, introduced an infectious disease-trained nurse navigator who guided patients through comprehensive screening processes.
The nurse navigator obtained HIV (search) and hepatitis testing and results, collected STI and latent tuberculosis infection (search) exposure histories, and offered appropriate prophylaxis and treatment. Of 515 unique patients admitted during the study periods, 261 were admitted during usual care and 254 during the intervention period, with 207 intervention patients included in the effectiveness analysis.
Dramatic Screening Rate Improvements
The intervention yielded significantly higher screening rates across all infectious diseases studied. Testing rates increased from 6.1% to 90.3% for hepatitis A (search), 8.8% to 91.3% for hepatitis B (search), and 49.4% to 91.8% for hepatitis C (search). HIV (search) screening rose from 23.8% to 76.8%, while latent tuberculosis screening increased from 1.9% to 67.6%.
Sexually transmitted infection screening also improved substantially, with gonorrhea (search)/chlamydia (search) testing rising from 14.9% to 59.9%, syphilis (search) screening from 18.4% to 68.1%, and trichomonas (search) testing from 27.5% to 56.7%. Overall, any infectious disease screening was completed for 60.2% of usual care patients compared to 90.8% of intervention patients.
Enhanced Prevention and Treatment Outcomes
The intervention's impact extended beyond screening to prevention and treatment delivery. Seronegative intervention patients received vaccines for hepatitis A (search) and B, HIV (search) preexposure prophylaxis, and treatment for positive tests. Hepatitis A vaccination rates increased from 0% in usual care to 58% in the intervention group, while hepatitis B (search) vaccination rose from 0% to 71%.
HIV (search) preexposure prophylaxis linkage improved from 0% to 5.2%, with three intervention patients initiating PrEP. Treatment rates also increased significantly, with hepatitis C (search) treatment rising from 67% to 100%, gonorrhea (search)/chlamydia (search) treatment from 0% to 100%, syphilis (search) treatment from 62% to 85%, and trichomonas (search) treatment from 72% to 100%.
Clinical Significance and Population Impact
The prevalence of identified treatment or prevention needs increased significantly from 28.7% to 79.3% in the intervention group. While disease prevalence rates were not statistically different between groups, the intervention's ability to identify and address these needs represents a substantial improvement in care delivery.
According to GlobalData (search) epidemiologists' forecasts for 2025, the US will have 1.4 million diagnosed prevalent HIV (search) cases, 306,000 diagnosed prevalent hepatitis B (search) cases, 648,000 diagnosed prevalent hepatitis C (search) cases, and 1.6 million 12-month total prevalent opioid use disorder (search) cases. Given the intersection of these conditions, comprehensive screening interventions can interrupt disease transmission and improve population health outcomes.
Addressing Healthcare Barriers
"Embedding ID screening, treatment, and prevention services into inpatient substance use treatment results in timely identification of ID and facilitates prompt delivery of preventive services, treatment of infections, and linkage to care," the investigators concluded. "This comprehensive approach can serve as an opportunity for engagement and care in a patient population that experiences stigma and other barriers to care."
The study addresses guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (search), which in 2021 encouraged medical staff at substance use treatment programs to have primary roles in screening for hepatitis and HIV (search). Despite this guidance and successful integrated screening interventions in other settings, the potential for inpatient SUD programs to serve as comprehensive infectious disease screening platforms had not been fully explored.
The research demonstrates that co-locating infectious disease services within substance use treatment programs can overcome traditional barriers to care while capitalizing on opportunities for screening in healthcare settings where high-risk populations are already engaged in treatment.