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Delivering effective medications for OUD requires a thoughtful, person-centered approach. See below for practical guidance on identifying patients, engaging them in care, and tailoring treatment plans to meet their unique needs. With tools for screening, communication, and family involvement, these resources support a compassionate low-threshold model of care.
Screening and Diagnosis
Identify patients with OUD who may benefit from medication treatment. Use standardized screening tools, followed by a specific diagnostic workup to avoid delays in starting treatment.
Screen Patients for OUD
Proactively identify patients who may benefit from MOUD using validated screening tools and workflows that integrate screening into routine clinical care.
Verify OUD Diagnosis
For patients who screen positive for OUD, verify the diagnosis of OUD according to DSM-5 criteria while excluding tolerance and withdrawal among patients using opioids as prescribed.
Assess Individual Needs
A comprehensive assessment of each patient's medical, psychological, and social needs—including treatment goals and barriers—helps tailor MOUD treatment and improve engagement.
Engaging Patients in MOUD
Patient engagement is critical to retaining patients on medications for OUD and achieving positive outcomes. View strategies for providing a welcoming environment, rapid and low-threshold treatment initiation, maximizing MOUD treatment retention, and re-engaging patients after breaks in care.
Engage Patients During Initial Contacts
Low-threshold medications for OUD involve engaging patients early, which is strengthened by empathic communication, flexible scheduling like walk-in appointments, and a welcoming environment that minimizes stigma and encourages return visits.
Provide Person-Centered Care
Offering immediate access to medications for OUD, with minimal barriers and care tailored to individual needs fosters trust and supports long-term MOUD treatment retention.
Promote Ongoing Engagement
Sustained MOUD treatment engagement is facilitated by proactive outreach after missed visits, consistent communication, and strategies that adapt to patients’ evolving needs and circumstances.
Shared Care Plans
Collaborate with patients to develop their medications for OUD care plan that is person-centered, reflecting their individual goals, preferences, and recovery supports.
Develop Shared Care Plan
A shared care plan is a dynamic, person-centered health document designed to facilitate communication between care team members and the patient.
Practice Shared Decision-Making
Actively involving patients in developing and updating their care plans fosters trust, enhances engagement, and ensures treatment aligns with their values, preferences, and life circumstances.
Person-Centered Treatment Considerations
Adapt treatment to the evolving needs and circumstances of each patient. Discover best practices for trauma-informed care and considerations for providing medications for OUD to pregnant and postpartum women, youth, patients living in rural areas, and patients who are unsheltered.
Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Initiate and/or maintain medications for OUD throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, with coordinated care that addresses maternal health, fetal and infant health, and minimizes stigma-related barriers to MOUD treatment.
Youth
MOUD treatment for adolescents and young adults includes developmentally appropriate care, family involvement when possible, and attention to co-occurring mental health conditions and social circumstances.
Patients in Rural Areas
Expanding MOUD access in rural communities requires leveraging telehealth, building local provider capacity, and addressing transportation and privacy concerns unique to small communities.
Engaging and Educating Patients and Families
Ideally, patients and their families or loved ones should be involved in the MOUD treatment process. Thoughtful communication strategies and respectful education can support long-term engagement.
Engage in Relationship Building
Building trust through respectful, nonjudgmental communication—such as motivational interviewing and shared decision-making—helps foster therapeutic alliances and keeps patients engaged in treatment.
Educate Patients and Families About MOUD
Providing clear, culturally sensitive education about MOUD, including benefits, risks, and recovery expectations, empowers patients and families to support treatment and reduce stigma.