Opioid use disorder raises odds of death by ten times in hospital care

the university health care system than among those treated in specialist addiction clinics. “Individuals with opioid use disorder rarely admit or self-identify themselves with opioid use problems,” Hser said. “[These findings] suggest that general health care systems need to establish a better infrastructure and training for primary care physicians to diagnose and treat opioid use disorder,”

More deaths occurred among African American and uninsured participants, the researchers found. They also suggested that improvements are needed in the training of primary care physicians to prevent, identify, diagnose and treat opioid addiction in the general health care system.

“I was surprised by the findings because one would potentially expect better health care outcomes for patients being served by a large health care system,” Hser said. “Instead, we found mortality rates much higher than either the general population or individuals treated in addiction specialty treatment programs.”

Katherine Beigel
Author: Katherine Beigel

Katherine Beigel is a general assignment reporter for Addiction Now. She covers topics including demographics, scientific studies, and human interest stories related to addiction and addiction recovery. Contact Katherine at katherineb@drugaddictionnow.com

Summary
Article Name
Opioid use disorder raises odds of death by ten times in hospital care
Description
individuals with opioid use disorders who received medical services in a university health system were 10 times more likely to die than those who received treatment in a specialized clinic.
Author
Katherine Beigel
Publisher Name
Addiction Now