Literature Collection

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders are associated with poorer clinical outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. There is no specific treatment for amphetamine or cannabis use disorder, but methadone and buprenorphine are used as replacement therapy in the treatment of opioid dependence. Our aim was to study whether patients with schizophrenia have received opioid replacement therapy for their opioid use disorder. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 148 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia who were in involuntary psychiatric treatment as forensic patients in Finland in 2012. The proportion of the study sample with comorbid opioid use disorder having received opioid replacement therapy prior to their forensic psychiatric treatment was compared to the available information of opioid dependent patients in general. The data were collected from forensic examination statements, patient files and other medical registers retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the study sample, 15.6% (23/148) had a history of opioid use disorder, of whom 8.7% (2/23) had received opioid replacement treatment (95% confidence interval (Cl): 1.1-28.0), even though opioid use disorder had been diagnosed in the treatment system. According the available information the corresponding proportion among patients with opioid use disorder and using substance use disorder services was 30.4% (565/1860, 95% Cl: 28.3-32.5). The fraction of patients receiving opioid replacement therapy was significantly lower among patients with schizophrenia (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Opioid replacement therapy was seldom used among schizophrenia patients who were later ordered to involuntary forensic psychiatric treatment. More attention should be paid to the possible use of opioids when planning treatment for patients with schizophrenia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Our study is not a randomized controlled trial (but a register-based study); thus the trial registration is not applicable.

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a public health crisis and is challenging to treat. Previous research has shown correlations between OUD, abuse/trauma, and chronic pain. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate history of lifetime sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse among participants in a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for OUD, and to investigate associations between abuse history and chronic pain. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of intake data from a 2-year, nonexperimental cohort treatment program of patients with OUD in rural Colorado. De-identified data were provided by 476 adult MAT patients using the Adult Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6). The ASI-6 includes three yes/no questions about history of abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), with separate scoring for "past 30 days" and "lifetime" abuse. RESULTS: Lifetime history among MAT program for OUD patients was 23% for sexual abuse, 43% for physical abuse, and 58% for emotional abuse. History of physical abuse was significantly associated with having a chronic pain diagnosis, χ(2) = 4.49, p = .03, and also with higher reported pain levels, t(460) = 2.71, p = .007. CONCLUSION: Lifetime history of physical abuse was associated with OUD and chronic pain, yet standard pain assessments do not assess these factors. In health care settings, the implementation of standardized trauma-informed screening tools, prompt recognition of abuse/trauma history, and adjunct psychological interventions may reduce stigma, reduce opioid use escalation, and help patients overcome OUD.

BACKGROUND: Integrated care is the coordination of general and behavioral health and is a highly promising and practical approach to improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. While there is growing interest and investment in integrated care implementation internationally, there are no formal guidelines for integrated care implementation applicable to diverse healthcare systems. Furthermore, there is a complex interplay of factors at multiple levels of influence that are necessary for successful implementation of integrated care in health systems. METHODS: Guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework (Aarons et al., 2011), a multiple case study design was used to address two research objectives: 1) To highlight current integrated care implementation efforts through seven international case studies that target a range of healthcare systems, patient populations and implementation strategies and outcomes, and 2) To synthesize the shared and unique challenges and successes across studies using the EPIS framework. RESULTS: The seven reported case studies represent integrated care implementation efforts from five countries and continents (United States, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Israel, and Nigeria), target a range of clinical populations and care settings, and span all phases of the EPIS framework. Qualitative synthesis of these case studies illuminated common outer context, inner context, bridging and innovation factors that were key drivers of implementation. CONCLUSIONS: We propose an agenda that outlines priority goals and related strategies to advance integrated care implementation research. These goals relate to: 1) the role of funding at multiple levels of implementation, 2) meaningful collaboration with stakeholders across phases of implementation and 3) clear communication to stakeholders about integrated care implementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.