The American Hospital Association released new resources July 23 to help hospitals and health systems improve care transitions and long-term treatment engagement for patients with opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder.
The Bridge to Care: Continuing the Momentum website includes three clinical toolkits, six hospital case studies, podcasts and a webinar. The resources are designed for inpatient, primary care and pharmacy settings and outline leading practices to improve medication for opioid use disorder initiation, strengthen care transitions and increase linkage to and retention in care for patients with opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder, according to the AHA’s website.
The toolkits were developed through the AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust as part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded project launched in fall 2024. Oregon Health and Science University Health Care in Beaverton, Ore.; Trinity Health of New England in Hartford, Conn.; and UK HealthCare in Lexington, Ky., partnered with AHA HRET to develop and test the resources using evidence-based and evidence-informed practices.
In addition to the toolkits, the webpage includes case examples from the three participating health systems, suggestions for future work and a literature review. The resources emphasize three areas for improving linkage to and retention in care: expanding access to care, strengthening leadership commitment and supporting ongoing education and communication among care teams.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.