Disparities Exist in Outpatient Referrals for Opioid Use Disorder
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 7, 2025 -- Black patients presenting to the emergency department for an opioid overdose are less likely to receive outpatient referrals for opioid use disorder (OUD), according to a study published online July 2 in JAMA Network Open.
Siri Shastry, M.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues examined racial and ethnic disparities in treatment referral rates in emergency department patients with opioid overdose. The analysis included data from 10 hospital sites (1,683 patients) participating in the Toxicology Investigators Consortium Fentalog Study (Sept. 21, 2020, to Nov. 11, 2023).
The researchers found that 17.8 percent of patients presenting to the emergency department received a referral for outpatient treatment, 42.4 percent received a naloxone kit or prescription, and 8.4 percent received a buprenorphine prescription. Black patients had a decreased likelihood of outpatient treatment referral (adjusted odds ratio, 0.67) compared with White patients. Hospital admission was associated with an increased likelihood of outpatient treatment referral (adjusted odds ratio, 3.13). There was geographic variation noted for all primary and secondary outcomes.
"In this study, Black patients were less likely to receive outpatient referrals for OUD," the authors write. "These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address racial disparities in emergency department care for OUD, particularly in enhancing referral processes."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
Myocardial Fibrosis Linked to Ventricular Arrhythmia in Male Endurance Athletes
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 -- Myocardial fibrosis is independently associated with the onset of ventricular arrhythmia in male veteran endurance athletes, according to a study...
Digital Model Based on Noninvasive Factors Shows Accuracy for Identifying IBD in Children
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 -- A model based on noninvasive tests shows high accuracy as a digital tool for the rapid identification of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)...
Prevalence of Extremely Severe Obesity Increasing in Children
TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 -- From 2008 to 2023, there was an increase in the prevalence of extremely severe obesity in children, especially among older adolescents and non-Hispanic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.