Press release

Wednesday July 17, 2024

NIH study highlights need for more education, training and policies to encourage physicians to adopt evidence-based addiction treatment.

You can also read more about the A-Team here. new study The top five reasons why some physicians do not intervene in addiction have been identified. This comprehensive review of 283 articles published over the past 61 years on the topic found that “institutional climate” was the most commonly cited reason. “Institutional environment” includes factors such as lack of support from a physician’s employer or institution, inadequate staffing and training resources, and conflicting demands. This reason was cited in 81 % of the studies. This was followed by lack of skills (74 %), cognitive ability to manage a specific level of care (74 %), or insufficient knowledge (72 %).

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In 66 % studies, negative social influences or beliefs about the public and community acceptability of drug treatment were cited. 56 % of these studies also cited fear that physicians would harm their patient-physician relationships as a deterrent to drug treatment. The authors suggest that these may be manifestations of the stigma associated with substance use disorders. The authors also noted reimbursement concerns about the costs of drug treatment interventions.

These findings indicate that an institution-wide change is needed to encourage physicians to adopt evidence-based treatment approaches for substance use disorders. Changes involve increased support from the organization, staff, and leadership, as well as the provision of education and training. This study was published in JAMA Network OpenThe National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (NIDA) led the study and provided funding.

Nora D. Volkow MD is the director of NIDA. She said people with substance use disorders should be able to access evidence-based, compassionate care every time they interact with health care providers. To achieve this vision, all clinicians need more training, support, and resources to care for people with addictions.

Uptake of effective treatments for substance use disorders remains low, despite the high efficacy of medication and behavioral therapy. Demand exceeds capacity. By 2022, nearly 49 million people In the United States, approximately a quarter (13 million people) have received treatment in the past year. More than 9 million adults In 2022, opioid use disorder was a problem, but only about half of those who needed help received it. Only 25,133 were taking medication for the condition. Recent studies have shown that opioid use disorder is a serious problem. federal policy changes Reduced barriers to addiction treatment, increased number of physicians prescribing the drug for opioid use disorder buprenorphineThis has not yet led to more people receiving treatment.

The researchers reviewed studies from 1960 to 2021 to better understand the factors that limit access to treatment. They focused on physician-described barriers to adopting evidence-based addiction treatments. The researchers selected studies spanning 61 years to collect data. However, they noted that 97 of these studies were published in 2000 or later, and the number of studies increased over time. The majority of studies analyzed relied on survey data. Data from 66,732 physicians, primarily in general practice, family practice, and internal medicine, were also included. The most commonly studied substances were alcohol, nicotine, and opioids, while screening and treatment was the most commonly studied intervention.

This study examined factors that encourage physician intervention and suggested that community outreach, educational materials for families and patients, and public health campaigns using non-stigmatizing words may be beneficial.

The researchers conducted the study according to standard protocols for systematic reviews. The researchers note that a number of studies do not report or use best practices for survey design, and that terminology and reporting are inconsistent. The authors suggest that the future of the field will focus on developing high-quality, comprehensive studies to address these gaps.

Wilson M. Compton MD is deputy director of NIDA and lead author of the study. He said, “It’s important to develop new treatments for addiction, but it’s equally important to rigorously study how to implement them so they get into doctors’ offices and to the people who need them.” The survey results helped us better understand the treatment landscape. Next, we’ll test new ways to change behaviors and attitudes toward addiction treatment to overcome the barriers that prevent people from seeking addiction treatment.

The authors recommend that future research closely examine treatment practices as they evolve. Role of stigma in limiting treatment uptakeThe study will also explore unintended consequences of increasing physician involvement, including strains on physician-patient relationships, reduced physician time to provide other services to patients due to the focus on addiction, and possible stigmatizing interactions between the patient and other health care providers due to increased documentation of their substance use disorder diagnosis.

Help is available to anyone in need. You can call or text 988Chat on 988lifeline.org. Visit this page to learn more about how you can get help for mental illness or addiction.FindSupport.gov. You can use the direct link to find a provider or treatment facility.FindTreatment.gov Call800-662-HELP (4357).

The National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA is responsible for the majority of research conducted worldwide on drug addiction and its health effects. The Institute offers a wide range of programs aimed at improving policy, advancing addiction research, and informing practice. Visit NIDA for more information about its programs and services. www.nida.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health: NIH is the medical research agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It includes 27 institutes and centers. NIH, the national medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services. Visit NIH for more information about its programs. www.nih.gov.

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