The study examined treatment retention following the initiation of buprenorphine in the emergency department (ED), finding that the attendance rate for the first referral appointment among patients who received ED-initiated buprenorphine was 77 percent. At the 30-day follow-up mark, 43 percent of patients remained engaged in treatment. The study concluded that ED-initiated programs are effective in encouraging patients to attend their initial referral appointments for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, however, further efforts are needed to improve the rates of treatment retention after 30 days, especially for individuals with nonprescription-only substance use profiles.
Read the full study here.