Headline
Inpatient addiction medicine consultation services (AMCS) reduced 90-day mortality for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) after a hospital discharge, but showed mixed results on acute care utilization.
Context
Patients often describe hospitalization as an ideal moment for engaging in SUD treatment due to increased motivation and interruption in substance use. Inpatient AMCS support patients with acute withdrawal, pharmacotherapy, and referrals to SUD treatment after hospital discharge. These services have expanded in hospitals in recent years and have been found to improve post-discharge engagement in SUD treatment, reduce substance use, and reduce readmission rates. This study analyzed the impact of multidisciplinary inpatient AMCS on patient outcomes after hospitalization.
Findings
Patients referred to AMCS had lower 90-day all-cause mortality following hospital discharge compared to a matched control group. Although patients referred to AMCS had a significant reduction in seven-day hospital readmission, they had a nonsignificant reduction in 30-day readmission and a significant increase in 30-day emergency department visits.
Takeaways
Hospitals and health systems that offer AMCS to patients with SUD can reduce all-cause mortality while improving linkages to SUD treatment and reducing substance use after discharge.