THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Interprofessional addiction counseling services significantly increase post-discharge medication initiation and utilization among patients with opioid use disorder (MOUD), according to a study published online July 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Jennifer McNeely, MD, of New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues examined whether interprofessional addiction counseling services in hospitals increase initiation and participation in MOUD treatment after discharge. The analysis included 2,315 adults with hospitalizations identified through Medicaid claims (October 2017 to January 2021) at one of six public hospitals who were randomly assigned to addiction counseling teams (consisting of a physician, social worker or addiction counselor, and peer counselor) or usual care.

The researchers found that MOUD initiation in the Consult for Addiction Treatment and Care in Hospitals (CATCH) program was 11.0 percent compared to 6.7 percent in usual care. In addition, MOUD participation was 7.4 versus 5.3 percent, and six-month continuation was 3.2 versus 2.4 percent. The odds of MOUD initiation were 7.96 times higher (log odds ratio 2.07) and the odds of 30-day MOUD participation were 6.90 times higher (log odds ratio 1.93) for patients hospitalized during the CATCH program.

“Observed rates of MOUD initiation and participation were still low; further efforts are needed to improve hospital- and community-based services for MOUD treatment,” the authors write.

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