(Press-News.org) Background and Goal: Opioid use disorder (OUD) medication treatment saves lives, yet fewer than one-third of people with OUD receive evidence-based treatment with medication. Researchers examined how often adults who report opioid use and moderate or severe substance-use symptoms begin, and stay on, OUD medication.
Study Approach: Researchers reviewed electronic health record and insurance claims data from 33 primary care clinics in Washington from March 1, 2015, to Jan. 1, 2023. The study included 1,502 adults who, at or just before a primary care visit, completed a substance-use checklist, said they had used opioids in the past year, and had not received OUD medication in the prior 30 days. Treatment initiation was defined as receiving buprenorphine, methadone, or injectable naltrexone within 14 days of the checklist; engagement meant at least one additional dose in the next 34 days.
Main Results
Of the 1,502 patients, 80 (5%) had moderate symptoms of substance use disorder and 542 (36%) patients had severe symptoms.
Among patients with moderate symptoms, 10% (8 patients) initiated medication treatment, and 75% (6 patients) remained engaged in the following month.
Among patients with severe symptoms, 26% (141 patients) initiated medication treatment, and 76% of those patients (108) remained engaged in the following month. These patients were significantly more likely to initiate and remain engaged compared to those with moderate symptoms.
Overall, most primary care patients who reported opioid use and moderate or severe substance use disorder symptoms did not initiate opioid use disorder medication treatment. However, most patients who did initiate medication treatment remained engaged in the following month.
Why It Matters: Routine screening alone did not move most patients with clear OUD symptoms into lifesaving treatment. While patients were willing to report use of opioids and substance use symptoms on the checklist, use of the checklist will likely need to be paired with robust implementation strategies and other proactive, patient-centered, population-based systems to engage patients in medication treatment for OUD.
Primary Care Patients With Opioid Use Disorder Symptoms: Initiation and Engagement in Treatment With Medicine
Claire B. Simon, MD, et al
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
TEMPORARY LINK
END
Most primary care patients with opioid use disorder who start treatment stay engaged
Primary care patients with opioid use disorder symptoms: initiation and engagement in treatment with medicine
2025-07-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
U.S.-born Latinos have higher rates of obesity compared to foreign-born Latino and white youth
2025-07-28
Background and Goal: Childhood obesity rates differ by ethnicity, yet data on nativity for Latino youth in primary care are limited. Researchers used community health center electronic health records (EHR) from 2012-2020 to track obesity trends by ethnicity and nativity and to test whether nativity is linked to obesity prevalence among patients aged 9-17 years.
Study Approach: Researchers examined EHR data for 147,376 children who visited 1,311 community-based health centers in 21 states. They divided the 2012-2020 span into four snapshots and, at every visit, noted whether ...
Study finds veterans experiencing homelessness who gain housing are more likely to get colorectal and breast cancer screenings
2025-07-28
Original Research
Background and Goal: This study examines if gaining housing increased rates of colorectal and breast cancer screening in a cohort of veterans who experience homelessness.
Study Approach: Researchers reviewed ten years of Veterans Health Administration (VA) records (2011-2021). They identified all veterans who were homeless and overdue for colorectal or breast cancer screening at their first VA clinic visit in the most recent year (the “index” visit). Housing status was then tracked for 24 ...
Body fat percentage beats BMI in predicting 15-year mortality risk among U.S. adults ages 20 to 49
2025-07-28
Background and Goal: Although body mass index (BMI) is widely used in clinics as the standard measure of body composition, it can potentially misclassify muscular individuals as overweight and miss cases of "normal-weight obesity," masking serious metabolic and heart disease risks. This study examined BMI vs body fat percentage for 15-year mortality risk among adults aged 20-49 years.
Study Approach: Researchers from the University of Florida analyzed data from 4,252 participants in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition ...
Umbrella review summarizes family physicians’ experiences with clinical integration
2025-07-28
Background and Goal: Clinical integration involves coordinating ongoing health care services across health professionals, facilities, and support systems to meet patient care needs. Researchers aimed to map out barriers and facilitators perceived by family physicians in clinical integration to guide future intervention development.
Study Approach: Researchers examined systematic review studies published from 2010 to 2022. Researchers adopted a “best-fit framework approach” to organize findings into themes and subthemes. They then validated the framework with another 21 reviews published between 2022 and 2024.
Main Results: ...
HEAL protocol addresses human trafficking in Brazilian primary care
2025-07-28
Primary care is often the first or only contact point for human trafficking survivors. In the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, professionals from the health, social services, and justice sectors collaborated to adapt and translate the U.S.-based HEAL Trafficking Protocol Toolkit to the Brazilian context. The toolkit equips health care professionals with the knowledge and tools to identify, and respond to, potential victims of human trafficking in a trauma-informed and patient-centered manner. Since September 2023, the Brazilian Protocol Toolkit page on the HEAL website has received ...
Study finds uneven progress toward diabetes goals across patient groups in the enhanced primary care diabetes program
2025-07-28
Background and Goal: The Enhanced Primary Care Diabetes (EPCD) model is a nurse-led care delivery model that leverages multidisciplinary support to improve diabetes care quality in primary care settings. This study assessed whether patients of different racial and ethnic groups benefited equally.
Study Approach: The authors reviewed health records for 1,749 adults aged 18 to 75 years from 13 family medicine and internal medicine practices in Mayo Clinic Rochester who joined the EPCD program from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020. They ...
Veterans experiencing homelessness who secure housing more likely to get cancer health screenings
2025-07-28
Editorial
Background: This editorial reviews Decker et al’s study of more than 100,000 veterans experiencing homelessness who were overdue for colorectal or breast cancer screening. About 57,000 secured housing during a 24-month window and were more than twice as likely to get screened after doing so.
Editorial Stance: The author calls the findings from Decker et al a “rare, measurable improvement” in care for people who have experienced homelessness. Although causality cannot be claimed from this observational work, the author praises the ...
Family physicians improve rural maternity outcomes but those in high-need states need support
2025-07-28
Background and Goal: This study explores the geographic distribution of family physicians providing maternity care and identifies opportunities for family physicians to expand access to maternity care.
Study Approach: The study merged county-level counts of OB-GYNs, certified nurse-midwives, and hospitals offering obstetric services from the 2021–2022 HRSA Area Health Resource File with 2013–2021 American Board of Family Medicine data on family physicians who reported delivering babies.
Researchers used ...
Tip sheet summaries Annals of Family Medicine July/August 2025
2025-07-28
Editorial
Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Who Secure Housing More Likely to Get Cancer Health Screenings
Background: This editorial reviews Decker et al’s study of more than 100,000 veterans experiencing homelessness who were overdue for colorectal or breast cancer screening. About 57,000 secured housing during a 24-month window and were more than twice as likely to get screened after doing so.
Editorial Stance: The author calls the findings from Decker et al a “rare, measurable improvement” in care for ...
TFLN-based RGB multiplexer for energy-efficient laser beam scanning
2025-07-28
As technology advances, photonic systems are gaining ground over traditional electronics, using light to transmit and process information more efficiently. One such optical system is laser beam scanning (LBS), where laser beams are rapidly steered to scan, sense, or display information. This technology is used in applications ranging from barcode scanners at grocery stores to laser projectors in light shows. To process a wider range of signals or enable full-color output, these systems utilize multiplexers that merge the red, green, and blue (RGB) laser beams into a single beam.
Traditionally, this was achieved ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
World’s leading medical journal details the climate emergency
GLP-1 drugs effective for weight loss, but more independent studies needed
Researchers uncover previously unexplored details of mosquito’s specialized detection mechanisms
Stem cell therapy linked to lower risk of heart failure after a heart attack
The NHS is reaching a crisis point in consultant recruitment, new report warns
UNM research suggests Halloween fireballs could signal increased risk of cosmic impact or airburst in 2032 and 2036
Biochar’s hidden helper: Dissolved organic matter boosts lead removal from polluted water
Sunlight turns everyday fabrics into ocean microfibers, new study finds
Antibiotics linked to lower risk of complications after obstetric tear
Rapid blood pressure fluctuations linked to early signs of brain degeneration in older adults
How microbes control mammalian cell growth
Emergency department pilot program serves rural families
Amid renewable-energy boom, study explores options for electricity market
Study finds improvement in knee pain with exercise and physical therapy
Researchers uncover key mechanism behind chemotherapy-induced nerve damage
Mayo Clinic researchers find enhancing the body’s ‘first responder’ cells may boost immune therapy for cancer
Secret to a long life? In bowhead whales, a protein repairs damaged DNA
MIT study: Identifying kids who need help learning to read isn’t as easy as A, B, C
Plant biomass substance helps combat weeds
Veterans with epilepsy after traumatic brain injury may have higher mortality rates
Who is more likely to lose vision due to high brain pressure?
Scripps Research professor awarded $3.2 million to advance type 1 diabetes research
Anna Wuttig wins Bayer Foundation Early Excellence in Science Award
Electric vehicles outperform gasoline cars in lifetime environmental impact
Kilimanjaro has lost 75 percent of its natural plant species over the last century
Spider web “decorations” may help pinpoint location of captured prey
Ancient tombs reveal the story of Chinese history
1 in 3 university students surveyed from a Parisian suburb report being unable to access desired food, with this food insecurity associated with academic dropout
Researchers uncover oldest 3D burrow systems in Hubei's Shibantan Biota
Discovery of a new principle: chiral molecules adhere to magnets
[Press-News.org] Most primary care patients with opioid use disorder who start treatment stay engagedPrimary care patients with opioid use disorder symptoms: initiation and engagement in treatment with medicine