Substance Use Disorder

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Chart of the Day: Rise in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder Leaving Hospital Prematurely

Untreated Withdrawal May Be the Cause, Researchers Say

By:
  • Mackenzie Bolas
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LDI Senior and Associate Fellows Ashish Thakrar, Margaret (Maggie) Lowenstein, Ryan Greysen, and M. Kit Delgado found that more people with opioid use disorder are leaving the hospital prematurely (or before medically advised), compared to marginal increases for individuals admitted for other reasons. In the study, “Trends in Before Medically Advised Discharges for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder, 2016-2020,” the authors note that “patients who use drugs cite untreated withdrawal and pain as primary reasons for before medically advised discharge.” They suggest a need to study whether implementing methadone and buprenorphine treatment and adapting opioid withdrawal treatment for fentanyl withdrawal may help lower rates of premature discharges.

The study, “Trends in Before Medically Advised Discharges for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder, 2016-2020,” was published in December 2023 in JAMA. Authors include Ashish Thakrar, Margaret (Maggie) Lowenstein, Ryan Greysen, and M. Kit Delgado.

Author

Mackenzie Bolas

Policy Coordinator

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