BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER

Hospital-Based Addiction Consultation Significantly Improves OUD Treatment Outcomes, Study Shows

2 months ago

• A clinical trial found that hospital-based addiction consultation services more than doubled the rate of medication initiation for opioid use disorder during hospitalization (57.3% vs 26.7% with usual care). • The Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Team (START) intervention significantly improved post-discharge treatment linkage, with 72% of intervention patients accessing follow-up care compared to 48.1% in the usual care group. • Researchers suggest the model could address critical gaps in OUD treatment by leveraging hospitalization as an opportunity to overcome barriers like stigma, housing instability, and healthcare access issues.