The cascade of care for opioid use disorder: a retrospective study in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract Background The term “Cascade of Care” has been used to analyze care delivered by a health system for conditions such as HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, and diabetes. It outlines sequential steps required to reach a specific outcome (i.e., viral suppression in the case of HIV). This allows to estimate the proportion of patients achieving each step and to identify gaps in care. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is integral in the treatment of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and opioid use disorder (OUD). We propose a Cascade of Care aiming to identify fundamental milestones in the management of these patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study examined patients with IE in the setting of OUD hospitalized between July 1, 2007 and January 1, 2015 to the Cleveland Clinic. We identified 4 key steps along the treatment cascade of these patients and estimated the proportion of patients: (1) evaluated by an addiction treatment service, (2) prescribed MAT while in-patient, (3) prescribed MAT at discharge, and (4) continued MAT at least 90 days after discharge. Results Of 273 patients with IE in the setting of OUD, 134 (49%) were evaluated by an addiction treatment service; 45 (17%) were prescribed MAT while in-patient; only 22 (8%) were prescribed MAT at discharge. At 90 days following discharge, there was evidence of continuing MAT for all 22 patients (8%). Conclusion Describing the process of addiction treatment for patients with IE and OUD in the format of a cascade of care provides a powerful quantitative method to identify gaps in care and can be used as a resource to implement interventions to address losses. We found only 8% of these patients continued MAT in the community after discharge. This study provides an estimate of how compromised the potential benefits from medical and surgical treatment for IE are by the lack of an effective approach to OUD after hospital discharge. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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Targeting the Barriers in the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care With Peer Recovery Support

Substance Abuse Research and Treatment ◽

10.1177/1178221820976988 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 117822182097698

Author(s):

Milena Stanojlović ◽

Larry Davidson

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Substance Use Disorder ◽

Recovery Process ◽

Continuum Of Care ◽

Opioid Use Disorder ◽

Opioid Use ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Cascade Of Care ◽

Recovery Support ◽

The Continuum

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has been recognized as a chronic, relapsing disorder. However, much of existing SUD care remains based in an acute care model that focuses on clinical stabilization and discharge, failing to address the longer-term needs of people in recovery from addiction. The high rates of client’s disengagement and attrition across the continuum of care highlight the need to identify and overcome the obstacles that people face at each stage of the treatment and recovery process. Peer recovery support services (PRSS) show promise in helping people initiate, pursue, and sustain long-term recovery from substance-related problems. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, the goal of this article is to explore the possible roles of peers along the SUD care continuum and their potential to improve engagement in care by targeting specific barriers that prevent people from successfully transitioning from one stage to the next leading eventually to full recovery. A multidimensional framework of SUD care continuum was developed based on the adapted model of opioid use disorder cascade of care and recovery stages, within which the barriers known to be associated with each stage of the continuum were matched with the existing evidence of effectiveness of specific PRSSs. With this conceptual paper, we are hoping to show how PRSSs can become a complementary and integrated part of the system of care, which is an essential step toward improving the continuity of care and health outcomes.

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