Low barrier medication for opioid use disorder at a federally qualified health center: a retrospective cohort study

• DOI: 10.1186/s13722-022-00342-1
• Publication Date: 2022-11-05T06:02:31Z
• Authors: Jamie Carter; Zhen Li; Hillary Chen; Melissa Greiner; Christopher Bush; Debanjan Bhattach...; Stephanie Poley; Nidhi Sachdeva; Jane Carolyn Crowder; Jacob Feigal
• Keywords: Medicine (General); Physiology; Science Policy; FOS: Health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; R5-920; Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology; Harm Reduction; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Humans; Medication for opioid use disorder; HV1-9960; Cancer; Retrospective Studies; Harm reduction; Research; Opioid-Related Disorders; Buprenorphine; 3. Good health; Analgesics, Opioid; FOS: Biological sciences; Opioid use disorder; Medicine; 110309 Infectious Diseases; Emergency Service, Hospital; 0305 other medical science; Biotechnology

Abstract Background Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) reduces mortality, but few patients access MOUD. At a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we implemented a low barrier model of MOUD, including same-day MOUD initiation and a harm reduction philosophy.

Objective To investigate whether low barrier MOUD improved retention in care compared to traditional treatment.

Design and participants Retrospective cohort study of patients with at least one visit seeking MOUD at the FQHC during a historical control period (3/1/2018—3/31/2019) and a low barrier intervention period (11/1/2019—7/31/2020).

Main measures Primary outcomes were any MOUD prescription within 6 months of the index visit and 3- and 6-month retention in treatment without care gap, with care gap defined as 60 consecutive days without a visit or prescription. Secondary outcomes were all-cause hospitalization and emergency department visit within 6 months of the index visit.

Key results Baseline characteristics were similar between the intervention (n = 113) and control (n = 90) groups, except the intervention group had higher rates of uninsured, public insurance and diabetes. Any MOUD prescription within 6 months of index visit was higher in the intervention group (97.3% vs 70%), with higher adjusted odds of MOUD prescription (OR = 4.01, 95% CI 2.08–7.71). Retention in care was similar between groups at 3 months (61.9% vs 60%, aOR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.78–1.44). At 6 months, a higher proportion of the intervention group was retained in care, but the difference was not statistically significant (53.1% vs 45.6%, aOR 1.27, 95% CI 0.93–1.73). There was no significant difference in adjusted odds of 6-month hospitalization or ED visit between groups.

Conclusions Low barrier MOUD engaged a higher risk population and did not result in any statistically significant difference in retention in care compared with a historical control. Future research should determine what interventions improve retention of patients engaged through low barrier care. Primary care clinics can implement low barrier treatment to make MOUD accessible to a broader population.