Behavioral Health Business June 13, 2024
The emergency department (ED) can be the “first, and sometimes only” interaction that people with substance use disorders (SUDs) have with the health care system.
Integrating SUD care into EDs can connect these patients to crucial long-term care. Still, co-occurring conditions, stigma and polysubstance use are among the main barriers preventing efficient integration.
The ED is a crucial link to getting patients into long-term SUD care, Dr. Jarrett Burns, an emergency physician and a medical toxicologist at Tidelands Health, told Addiction Treatment Business. Burns approximates that 10% of the patients he encounters have a SUD.
“The emergency department is the only place that has the lights on and the doors open 24 hours a day,” Burns said. “On a day-to-day...
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