Engaging healthcare teams to increase access to medications for opioid use disorder.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) as an implementation strategy to expand the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) within nonspecialty settings.

Data Sources And Study Setting: We studied eight facilities in one Veteran Health Administration (VHA) region from October 2015 to September 2022 using administrative data.

Study Design: Initially a pilot, we sequentially engaged seven of eight facilities from April 2018 to September 2022 using EBQI, consisting of multilevel stakeholder engagement, technical support, practice facilitation, and data feedback.

Impact of Referring High-Risk Patients to Intensive Outpatient Primary Care Services: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Background: Many healthcare systems have implemented intensive outpatient primary care programs with the hopes of reducing healthcare costs.

Objective: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) piloted primary care intensive management (PIM) for patients at high risk for hospitalization or death, or "high-risk." We evaluated whether a referral model would decrease high-risk patient costs.