Email UpdatesA new study on the link between emergency department (ED) buprenorphine and sustained treatment of opioid use disorder was recently released by the Public Health Institute’s (PHI)’s CA Bridge. Key findings of the research - as summarized on the PHI press release - were that 86% of the 464 study participants with confirmed opioid disorder (OUD) accepted buprenorphine treatment when offered it in the ED, and that those patients were nearly twice as likely to remain engaged in OUD treatment 30 days after ED release than those who did not receive treatment.
In EDs implementing low-threshold access to medications for OUD, buprenorphine treatment was associated with a substantially higher likelihood of follow-up treatment engagement 1 month later. Future research should investigate techniques to optimize both the uptake and effectiveness of buprenorphine initiation in low-threshold settings such as the ED.
This study builds on existing research on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and demonstrates the impact of accessibility on OUD treatment. See the Integration Academy’s Topic Brief on the role of low-threshold treatment for patients with OUD in primary care for more information on this topic. Other relevant Academy resources include the Substance Use Tools & Resources Collection, the Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Playbook, and Literature Collection references on opioids and substance use.