Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction
Abstract Background Hospital-based addiction care focuses on assessing and diagnosing substance use disorders, managing withdrawal, and initiating medications for addiction treatment. Hospital harm reduction is generally limited to prescribing naloxone. Hospitals can better serve individuals with su...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Harm Reduction Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00594-9 |
| _version_ | 1831561923950280704 |
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| author | Rachel Perera Louise Stephan Ayesha Appa Ro Giuliano Robert Hoffman Paula Lum Marlene Martin |
| author_facet | Rachel Perera Louise Stephan Ayesha Appa Ro Giuliano Robert Hoffman Paula Lum Marlene Martin |
| author_sort | Rachel Perera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Hospital-based addiction care focuses on assessing and diagnosing substance use disorders, managing withdrawal, and initiating medications for addiction treatment. Hospital harm reduction is generally limited to prescribing naloxone. Hospitals can better serve individuals with substance use disorders by incorporating harm reduction education and equipment provision as essential addiction care. We describe the implementation of a hospital intervention that provides harm reduction education and equipment (e.g., syringes, pipes, and fentanyl test strips) to patients via an addiction consult team in an urban, safety-net hospital. Methods We performed a needs assessment to determine patient harm reduction needs. We partnered with a community-based organization who provided us harm reduction equipment and training. We engaged executive, regulatory, and nursing leadership to obtain support. After ensuring regulatory compliance, training our team, and developing a workflow, we implemented this harm reduction program that provides education and equipment to individuals whose substance use goals do not include abstinence. Results During a 12-month period we provided 195 individuals harm reduction kits. Conclusions This intervention allowed us to advance hospital-based addiction care, better educate and engage patients, staff, and clinicians, and reduce stigma. By establishing a community harm reduction partner, obtaining support from hospital leadership, and incorporating feedback from staff, clinicians, and patients, we successfully implemented harm reduction education and equipment provision in a hospital setting as part of evidence-based addiction care. Trial registration: Commentary, none. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:29:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f03e75659fe64079816836c0ae239253 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1477-7517 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:29:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Harm Reduction Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-f03e75659fe64079816836c0ae2392532022-12-21T21:52:34ZengBMCHarm Reduction Journal1477-75172022-02-011911710.1186/s12954-022-00594-9Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reductionRachel Perera0Louise Stephan1Ayesha Appa2Ro Giuliano3Robert Hoffman4Paula Lum5Marlene Martin6San Francisco General HospitalFrank H Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac UniversitySan Francisco General HospitalSan Francisco AIDS FoundationDrug User Community HealthSan Francisco General HospitalSan Francisco General HospitalAbstract Background Hospital-based addiction care focuses on assessing and diagnosing substance use disorders, managing withdrawal, and initiating medications for addiction treatment. Hospital harm reduction is generally limited to prescribing naloxone. Hospitals can better serve individuals with substance use disorders by incorporating harm reduction education and equipment provision as essential addiction care. We describe the implementation of a hospital intervention that provides harm reduction education and equipment (e.g., syringes, pipes, and fentanyl test strips) to patients via an addiction consult team in an urban, safety-net hospital. Methods We performed a needs assessment to determine patient harm reduction needs. We partnered with a community-based organization who provided us harm reduction equipment and training. We engaged executive, regulatory, and nursing leadership to obtain support. After ensuring regulatory compliance, training our team, and developing a workflow, we implemented this harm reduction program that provides education and equipment to individuals whose substance use goals do not include abstinence. Results During a 12-month period we provided 195 individuals harm reduction kits. Conclusions This intervention allowed us to advance hospital-based addiction care, better educate and engage patients, staff, and clinicians, and reduce stigma. By establishing a community harm reduction partner, obtaining support from hospital leadership, and incorporating feedback from staff, clinicians, and patients, we successfully implemented harm reduction education and equipment provision in a hospital setting as part of evidence-based addiction care. Trial registration: Commentary, none.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00594-9Harm reductionHospitalsAddictionSafer use suppliesCommunity engagementHealth systems |
| spellingShingle | Rachel Perera Louise Stephan Ayesha Appa Ro Giuliano Robert Hoffman Paula Lum Marlene Martin Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction Harm Reduction Journal Harm reduction Hospitals Addiction Safer use supplies Community engagement Health systems |
| title | Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction |
| title_full | Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction |
| title_fullStr | Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction |
| title_short | Meeting people where they are: implementing hospital-based substance use harm reduction |
| title_sort | meeting people where they are implementing hospital based substance use harm reduction |
| topic | Harm reduction Hospitals Addiction Safer use supplies Community engagement Health systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00594-9 |
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