Austin S Kilaru1, Su Fen Lubitz1, Jessica Davis1, Whitney Eriksen1, Sari Siegel1, David Kelley1, Jeanmarie Perrone1, Zachary F Meisel1. 1. National Clinician Scholars Program, University of Pennsylvania, and Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Philadelphia (Kilaru); Center for Emergency Care Policy and Research, Department of Emergency Medicine (Kilaru, Lubitz, Perrone, Meisel), and Mixed Methods Research Lab, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (Davis, Eriksen), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (Perrone, Meisel); Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg (Siegel); Office of Medical Assistance Programs, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Harrisburg (Kelley).
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In 2019, Pennsylvania established a voluntary financial incentive program designed to increase the engagement in addiction treatment for Medicaid patients with opioid use disorder after emergency department (ED) encounters. In this qualitative study involving hospital leaders, the authors examined decisions leading to participation in this program as well as barriers and facilitators that influenced its implementation. METHODS: Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted with leaders from a diverse sample of hospitals and health systems across Pennsylvania. Interviews were planned and analyzed following the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. An iterative approach was used to analyze the interviews and determine key themes and patterns regarding implementation of this policy initiative in hospitals. RESULTS: The authors identified six key themes that reflected barriers and facilitators to hospital participation in the program. Participation in the program was facilitated by community partners capable of arranging outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, incentive payments focusing hospital leadership on opioid treatment pathways, multidisciplinary planning, and flexibility in adapting pathways for local needs. Barriers to program participation concerned the implementation of buprenorphine prescribing and the measurement of treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A financial incentive policy encouraged hospitals to enact rapid system and practice changes to support treatment for opioid use disorder, although challenges remained in implementing evidence-based treatment-specifically, initiation of buprenorphine-for patients visiting the ED. Analysis of treatment outcomes is needed to further evaluate this policy initiative, but new delivery and payment models may improve systems to treat patients who have an opioid use disorder.
OBJECTIVE: In 2019, Pennsylvania established a voluntary financial incentive program designed to increase the engagement in addiction treatment for Medicaid patients with opioid use disorder after emergency department (ED) encounters. In this qualitative study involving hospital leaders, the authors examined decisions leading to participation in this program as well as barriers and facilitators that influenced its implementation. METHODS: Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted with leaders from a diverse sample of hospitals and health systems across Pennsylvania. Interviews were planned and analyzed following the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. An iterative approach was used to analyze the interviews and determine key themes and patterns regarding implementation of this policy initiative in hospitals. RESULTS: The authors identified six key themes that reflected barriers and facilitators to hospital participation in the program. Participation in the program was facilitated by community partners capable of arranging outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, incentive payments focusing hospital leadership on opioid treatment pathways, multidisciplinary planning, and flexibility in adapting pathways for local needs. Barriers to program participation concerned the implementation of buprenorphine prescribing and the measurement of treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A financial incentive policy encouraged hospitals to enact rapid system and practice changes to support treatment for opioid use disorder, although challenges remained in implementing evidence-based treatment-specifically, initiation of buprenorphine-for patients visiting the ED. Analysis of treatment outcomes is needed to further evaluate this policy initiative, but new delivery and payment models may improve systems to treat patients who have an opioid use disorder.
Entities:
Keywords:
Buprenorphine; Emergency department; Financial incentives; Implementation science; Opioid use disorder; Pay for performance
Authors: Stephen Crystal; Molly Nowels; Hillary Samples; Mark Olfson; Arthur Robin Williams; Peter Treitler Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2022-01-10 Impact factor: 4.492