Addiction Consult Service and Inpatient Outcomes Among Patients with OUD

Background

Despite rising hospitalizations for opioid use disorder (OUD), rates of inpatient medications for OUD (MOUD) initiation are low. Addiction consult services (ACSs) facilitate inpatient MOUD initiation and linkage to post-discharge MOUD, but few studies have rigorously examined ACS OUD outcomes.

Objective

To determine the association between ACS consultation and inpatient MOUD initiation, discharge MOUD provision, and post-discharge MOUD linkage.

Design

Retrospective study comparing admissions that received an ACS consult and propensity score–matched historical control admissions.

Subjects

One hundred admissions with an OUD-related diagnosis, of patients not currently receiving MOUD who received an ACS consult, and 100 matched historical controls.

Intervention

Consultation from an interprofessional ACS offering expertise in MOUD initiation and linkage to post-discharge MOUD.

Main Measures

The primary outcome was inpatient MOUD initiation (methadone or buprenorphine). Secondary outcomes were inpatient buprenorphine initiation, inpatient methadone initiation, discharge prescription for buprenorphine, linkage to post-discharge MOUD (buprenorphine prescription within 60 days and new methadone administration at a methadone program within 30 days after discharge), patient-directed discharge, 30-day readmission, and 30-day emergency department (ED) visit.

Key Results

Among 200 admissions with an OUD-related diagnosis, those that received an ACS consultation were significantly more likely to have inpatient MOUD initiation (OR 2.57 [CI 1.44–4.61]), inpatient buprenorphine initiation (OR 5.50 [2.14–14.15]), a discharge prescription for buprenorphine (OR 17.22 [3.94–75.13]), a buprenorphine prescription within 60 days (22.0% vs. 0.0%, p < 0.001; of those with inpatient buprenorphine initiation: 84.6% vs. 0.0%), and new methadone administration at a methadone program within 30 days after discharge (7.0% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.007; of those with inpatient methadone initiation: 19.4% vs. 0.0%). There were no significant differences in other secondary outcomes.

Conclusions

There was a strong association between ACS consultation and inpatient MOUD initiation and linkage to post-discharge MOUD. ACSs promote the delivery of evidence-based care for patients with OUD.