Recovery Coach Program Implementation Across an Integrated Health System.

Peer recovery coaches (PRCs) are increasingly playing a role in helping patients with substance use disorders engage with treatment. PRCs can support and motivate patients in meeting their self-defined recovery goals, engaging in addiction treatment, navigating the health care system, and overcoming barriers to recovery. This support increases patient engagement and is cost-effective.

The Incidence and Disparities in Use of Stigmatizing Language in Clinical Notes for Patients With Substance Use Disorder.

Objective: The language used to describe people with substance use disorder impacts stigma and influences clinical decision making. This study evaluates the presence of stigmatizing language (SL) in clinical notes and detects patient- and provider-level differences.

Methods: All free-text notes generated in a large health system for patients with substance-related diagnoses between December 2020 and November 2021 were included.

Trends in buprenorphine treatment disparities during the COVID pandemic in Massachusetts.

Racial, sex, and age disparities in buprenorphine treatment have previously been demonstrated. We evaluated trends in buprenorphine treatment disparities before and after the onset of the COVID pandemic in Massachusetts. This cross-sectional study used data from an integrated health system comparing 12-months before and after the March 2020 Massachusetts COVID state of emergency declaration, excluding March as a washout period.

Evaluating disparities in prescribing of naloxone after emergency department treatment of opioid overdose.

Introduction: Patients who initially survive opioid-related overdose are at high risk for subsequent mortality. Our health system aimed to evaluate the presence of disparities in prescribing naloxone following opioid overdose.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients seen in our health system, which comprises two academic centers and eight community hospitals.