Ethnic Groups

Mobile Telemedicine for Buprenorphine Treatment in Rural Populations With Opioid Use Disorder

Bethie Seay — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

September 3, 2021

Type:

Clinical Research Results

DOI (1):

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.18487

A report and description of the use of telemedicine and mobile services to help people in rural areas with substance abuse challenges.

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Importance
The demand for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in rural US counties far outweighs their availability. Novel approaches to extend treatment capacity include telemedicine (TM) and mobile treatment on demand; however, their combined use has not been reported or evaluated.

Objective
To evaluate the use of a TM mobile treatment unit (TM-MTU) to improve access to MOUD for individuals living in an underserved rural area.

Design, Setting, and Participants
This quality improvement study evaluated data collected from adult outpatients with a diagnosis of OUD enrolled in the TM-MTU initiative from February 2019 (program inception) to June 2020. Program staff traveled to rural areas in a modified recreational vehicle equipped with medical, videoconferencing, and data collection devices. Patients were virtually connected with physicians based more than 70 miles (112 km) away. Data analysis was performed from June to October 2020.

Intervention
Patients received buprenorphine prescriptions after initial teleconsultation and follow-up visits from a study physician specialized in addiction psychiatry and medicine.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcome was 3-month treatment retention, and the secondary outcome was opioid-positive urine screens. Exploratory outcomes included use of other drugs and patients’ travel distance to treatment.

Results
A total of 118 patients were enrolled in treatment, of whom 94 were seen for follow-up treatment predominantly (at least 2 of 3 visits [>50%]) on the TM-MTU; only those 94 patients’ data are considered in all analyses. The mean (SD) age of patients was 36.53 (9.78) years, 59 (62.77%) were men, 71 (75.53%) identified as White, and 90 (95.74%) were of non-Hispanic ethnicity. Fifty-five patients (58.51%) were retained in treatment by 3 months (90 days) after baseline. Opioid use was reduced by 32.84% at 3 months, compared with baseline, and was negatively associated with treatment duration (F = 12.69; P = .001). In addition, compared with the nearest brick-and-mortar treatment location, TM-MTU treatment was a mean of 6.52 miles (range, 0.10-58.70 miles) (10.43 km; range, 0.16-93.92 km) and a mean of 10 minutes (range, 1-49 minutes) closer for patients.

Conclusions and Relevance
These data demonstrate the feasibility of combining TM with mobile treatment, with outcomes (retention and opioid use) similar to those obtained from office-based TM MOUD programs. By implementing a traveling virtual platform, this clinical paradigm not only helps fill the void of rural MOUD practitioners but also facilitates access to underserved populations who are less likely to reach traditional medical settings, with critical relevance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author/s:

Weintraub, E., Seneviratne, C., Anane, J.

Handgun Ownership and Suicide in California

Brian Desmarais — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:59:09 +0000

Date Added:

June 4, 2020

Journal/Publication:

New England Journal of Medicine

Publication Date:

June 4, 2020

Volume:

382

Pages:

2220-2229

URL:

Handgun Ownership and Suicide in California

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1056/NEJMsa1916744

Keywords

MeSH

Proportional Hazards Models

Ethnic Groups

I know it isn’t always easy to inquire about gun ownership in Oklahoma. However, if the goal is to prevent premature death, you should certainly ask patients who are depressed. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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BACKGROUND

Research has consistently identified firearm availability as a risk factor for suicide. However, existing studies are relatively small in scale, estimates vary widely, and no study appears to have tracked risks from commencement of firearm ownership.

METHODS

We identified handgun acquisitions and deaths in a cohort of 26.3 million male and female residents of California, 21 years old or older, who had not previously acquired handguns. Cohort members were followed for up to 12 years 2 months (from October 18, 2004, to December 31, 2016). We used survival analysis to estimate the relationship between handgun ownership and both all-cause mortality and suicide (by firearm and by other methods) among men and women. The analysis allowed the baseline hazard to vary according to neighborhood and was adjusted for age, race and ethnic group, and ownership of long guns (i.e., rifles or shotguns).

RESULTS

A total of 676,425 cohort members acquired one or more handguns, and 1,457,981 died; 17,894 died by suicide, of which 6691 were suicides by firearm. Rates of suicide by any method were higher among handgun owners, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.34 for all male owners as compared with male nonowners (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.13 to 3.56) and 7.16 for female owners as compared with female nonowners (95% CI, 6.22 to 8.24). These rates were driven by much higher rates of suicide by firearm among both male and female handgun owners, with a hazard ratio of 7.82 for men (95% CI, 7.26 to 8.43) and 35.15 for women (95% CI, 29.56 to 41.79). Handgun owners did not have higher rates of suicide by other methods or higher all-cause mortality. The risk of suicide by firearm among handgun owners peaked immediately after the first acquisition, but 52% of all suicides by firearm among handgun owners occurred more than 1 year after acquisition.

CONCLUSIONS

Handgun ownership is associated with a greatly elevated and enduring risk of suicide by firearm. (Funded by the Fund for a Safer Future and others.)

Author/s:

Studdert, D.M., Zhang, Y., Swanson, S.A., Prince, L., Rodden J.A., Holsinger, E.E., Wintemute, G.J., Miller, M., Spittal, M.J.

Screening for Alcohol Use and Brief Counseling of Adults — 13 States and the District of Columbia, 2017

John Bayhi — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 20:31:53 +0000

Date Added:

March 14, 2020

Journal/Publication:

MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Publisher:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Publication Date:

March 13, 2020

Issue:

Volume:

Pages:

265-270

URL:

Screening for Alcohol Use and Brief Counseling of Adults — 13 States and the District of Columbia, 2017

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.15585/mmwr.mm6910a3

Keywords

alcohol use

screening and brief intervention

alcohol SBI

binge drinking

PMID (1):

32163383

MeSH

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Public Health Practice

health personnel

Evidence-Based Medicine

insurance coverage

Telephone

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S.

Longitudinal Studies

The CDC recommends screening all adults for binge drinking with a single question and recommending reduction to those who screen positive. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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What is already known about this topic?

Binge drinking increases the risk for adverse health conditions and death. Alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI), recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for all adults in primary care, is effective in reducing binge drinking.

What is added by this report?

In 2017, 81% of survey respondents were asked by their health care provider about alcohol consumption and 38% about binge drinking at a checkup in the past 2 years. Among those asked about alcohol use and who reported current binge drinking, 80% received no advice to reduce their drinking.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Implementation of alcohol SBI as recommended by USPSTF, coupled with population-level evidence-based interventions, can reduce binge drinking among U.S. adults.

Author/s:

McKnight-Eily, LR, Okoro, CA, Turay, K, Acero, C, Hungerford, D

Clinical guideline for homeless and vulnerably housed people, and people with lived homelessness experience

Brian Desmarais — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 15:03:15 +0000

Date Added:

March 10, 2020

Journal/Publication:

Canadian Medical Association Journal

Publication Date:

March 9, 2020

Issue:

Volume:

192

Pages:

E240-E254

URL:

Clinical guideline for homeless and vulnerably housed people, and people with lived homelessness experience

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190777

MeSH

Vulnerable Populations

Income

Comprehensive Health Care

primary health care

opioid-related disorders

This article summarizes what is known about how to provide primary care for homeless and vulnerably housed patients. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

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KEY POINTS

Clinical assessment and care of homeless and vulnerably housed populations should include tailoring approaches to a person’s gender, age, Indigenous heritage, ethnicity and history of trauma; and advocacy for comprehensive primary health care.
As initial steps in the care of homeless and vulnerably housed populations, permanent supportive housing is strongly recommended, and income assistance is also recommended.
Case-management interventions, with access to psychiatric support, are recommended as an initial step to support primary care and to address existing mental health, substance use and other morbidities.
Harm-reduction interventions, such as supervised consumption facilities, and access to pharmacologic agents for opioid use disorder, such as opioid agonist treatment, are recommended for people who use substances.

Author/s:

Pottie, K."