Opioid Use Disorder Increases Readmissions After Cardiac Surgery: A Call to Action

Opportunities to improve opioid use disorder care for hospitalised patients with endocarditis

“…Participants also talked about the role of peer recovery specialists on the care team. One participant stated: 'We'll often consult [peer counselors] when the patient is wanting and open to some more support or if it's a patient that's new to [medication assisted treatment] and is thinking about it and wants a little more information, kind of experiential information on it' (7). Social workers were primarily responsible for discharge planning, which is especially complicated given the frequent need for both intravenous antibiotics and medication for OUD (MOUD).…”

“…Another participant shared a similar viewpoint: I think that's part of what the huddle really helped is getting a unified plan in place amongst all the providers of what's realistic for the patient to expect so we didn't have four or five different people going and presenting different possibilities and options that may or may not pan out, which led the patients to get frustrated, maybe contributed to like leaving AMA [against medical advice]. (7) Participants also found that communication with other team members during the huddles promoted clinician education about OUD. One participant shared their experience: 'It was for me like education and familiarity, hearing information from the providers, from psychiatry, from pharmacy has been incredibly helpful just in understanding my assessment with the patients for their substance use history' (7).…”

“…(7) Participants also found that communication with other team members during the huddles promoted clinician education about OUD. One participant shared their experience: 'It was for me like education and familiarity, hearing information from the providers, from psychiatry, from pharmacy has been incredibly helpful just in understanding my assessment with the patients for their substance use history' (7). Another participant stated: 'We don't always signpost education, but being in a huddle, talking about patients, using the right kind of language, I think people will learn from that' (22).…”

“…Twenty per cent of patients with OUD-IE are readmitted for recurrent OUD‐IE, likely due to continued injection opioid use 7. Even though the average length of hospitalisation for patients with OUD-IE is 19 days,4 healthcare staff tend not to address OUD during the hospital stay 8.…”

“…Twenty per cent of patients with OUD-IE are readmitted for recurrent OUD‐IE, likely due to continued injection opioid use. 7 Even though the average length of hospitalisation for patients with OUD-IE is 19 days, 4 healthcare staff tend not to address OUD during the hospital stay. 8 Only 6–8% of patients with OUD-IE are connected to evidence-based treatment for OUD by discharge, 8 9 despite the finding that it can reduce mortality by 50%.…”