Improving wait time from referral to opiate replacement therapy in a drug recovery service

Abstract

While the reported incidence of heroin use in the UK has reduced, related hospital admissions and associated mortality have continued to increase. Prompt access to treatment (opiate replacement therapy (ORT) and counselling support) have been shown to reduce risk and offer clients the optimal route to recovery. The Specialist Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service (Osprey House) within National Health Service Highland had lengthy delays from referral to commencing ORT (median wait 56 days), which this project aimed to reduce.A rapid process improvement workshop (RPIW) was undertaken to redesign the patient pathway from referral to recovery. The RPIW consisted of three phases: phase I, planning and preparation (12 weeks before the workshop week); phase II, the workshop week; and phase III, the follow-up. Metrics included the lead time from referral to initiating ORT and other process measures at baseline, and then repeated at 30, 60, 90 and 180 days, respectively. Additionally, data were routinely collected on the percentage of clients treated within 3 weeks, as was weekly data on the new process of screening clients within 1 day of referral. Multiple lean tools and techniques, including Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles, were used to test and implement new ways of working.Results at 180 days found the median time from referral to initiating ORT improved from a baseline of 56 to 21 days (63% improvement), room usage improved from 49% to 65% (32% increase) and standard work improved from level 1 to level 3. Increases in the number of clients treated within 3 weeks were demonstrated. Other metrics remained static or reported fluctuations too inconsistent to claim improvement at this point.By applying the Lean principles of removing waste and increasing value, we have redesigned our service, reducing the length of time clients with drug problems wait from referral to commencing ORT.

Engineering Approaches for Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in the Community

“…Unfortunately, there can be extremely long wait times from patient referral to treatment, which can lead to high disengagement rates (up to 75-80%) by individuals with SUD. Beattie et al (60) found average referral wait times of 56 days; the National Council for Behavioral Health (61), which examined 200 sites in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington, found a similar wait time of approximately 50 days from the service user's first call to the first service appointment. Barriers in the referral process include difficulties in determining patient eligibility, lack of transparency regarding treatment capacity, referral source knowledge/understanding of options, and issues with communication between referral source and recipient (62).…”

Service supply chains for population health: Overcoming fragmentation of service delivery ecosystems

“…Demands for substance abuse treatment have been increasing much faster than capacities. Average delays have been found to range from more than 2 months to more than a year…”