Nearly 10% of adults diagnosed with substance use disorder were hospitalized in the past year, but most did not receive any form of medication treatment while in the hospital, a recent study found.
Published April 1 in Annals of Internal Medicine, the study analyzed data from 60 million adults with SUDs from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health database. SUDs also included alcohol use disorder.
Here are four notes:
1. Patients with opioid use disorder had the highest hospitalization rate at around 24%, followed by patients with stimulant use disorder, hospitalized at about 18% to 20%. Alcohol use disorder patients had a 7.3% hospitalization rate.
2. Ten percent of patients with SUDs who reported past-year hospitalizations were more likely to have two or more chronic medical conditions, a serious mental illness and be on Medicare or Medicaid.
3. Most patients reported not receiving any medication treatment while in the hospital and were not connected to other services for follow-up care.
4. Larger academic medical centers are most likely to provide medication treatment for patients with SUDs and have additional resources, like addiction specialty services.