A qualitative examination of the current management of opioid use disorder and barriers to prescribing buprenorphine in a Canadian emergency department.

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) across Canada are increasingly prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD). The objective of this study was to identify the current knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of ED physicians on the management of OUD in the ED, including barriers and facilitators to prescribing buprenorphine.

Methods: We purposefully selected emergency physicians from one ED in Toronto which had recently received education on OUD management and had a new addiction medicine follow-up clinic, to participate in semi-structured interviews.

Understanding current practice of opioid use disorder management in emergency departments across Canada: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Opioid-related deaths are increasing at alarming rates in Canada, with a 34% increase from 2016 to 2017. Patients with opioid use disorder often visit emergency departments (ED), presenting an opportunity to engage patients in treatment. Buprenorphine-naloxone is first-line treatment for opioid use disorder, but current management in the ED is unknown.

Predictors of change in mental health and distress among women attending a women's shelter.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is detrimental to mental health. The Domestic Violence Survivor Assessment (DVSA), which includes a mental health assessment, is often used to evaluate abuse survivors in a counseling situation. The DVSA seeks to outline the cognitive state of women as per the stages of change as they attempt to move toward a life with no IPV.