To estimate the strength of association between psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders (SUD), and cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) during early pregnancy. Observational study. Kaiser Permanente Northern California, USA. 299 496 pregnancies from 227 555 individuals screened for cannabis use…
Kaiser Permanente researchers are participating in 5-year, multi-site research project.
As access to cannabis has increased, there has been a rise in a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). This study estimates annual prevalence of suspected CHS at emergency department visits (ED) over an 11-year period in Northern California. This…
This study examined differential changes in alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic among adults with unhealthy alcohol use. Among 62 924 adults identified with unhealthy alcohol use in primary care prepandemic (1 January 2019 to 29 February 2020), changes in alcohol…
As more states legalize cannabis, studies are needed to understand the potential impacts of recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) on adolescents from the perspective of clinicians who care for them. This qualitative study characterized clinician perspectives on whether cannabis legalization is…
This population-based cross-sectional study analyzed electronic health record data of pregnant individuals in an integrated health care delivery system in California to examine changes in prenatal cannabis use through self-report and urine toxicology testing during standard prenatal care between 2012…
The opioid crisis is impacting people across the country and deserves attention to be able to curb the rise in opioid-related deaths. To evaluate practice patterns in opioid infusion administration and dosing for patients with acute respiratory failure receiving invasive…
Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased emergency and hospital utilization. The PROUD trial showed that implementation of office-based addiction treatment (OBAT) increased OUD medication treatment compared to usual care, but did not decrease acute care utilization in patients…
Guidelines recommend an analgesia-first strategy for sedation during mechanical ventilation, but associations between opioids provided during mechanical ventilation and posthospitalization opioid-related outcomes are unclear. To evaluate associations between an intravenous opioid dose received during mechanical ventilation and postdischarge opioid-related outcomes…
Individuals with unhealthy alcohol use and comorbid depression or anxiety may be vulnerable to alcohol use escalation in times of stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Among a cohort of individuals with pre-pandemic unhealthy drinking, we compared changes in alcohol…
This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant individuals in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California system who were screened for adverse childhood experiences and resilience as part of standard prenatal care at about 16 weeks of gestation. Overall, 14,625 pregnancies…
Persons with HIV (PWH) experience high levels of pain. We examined the relationship of pain severity with use of cannabis and prescription opioids among PWH. This cross-sectional study evaluated associations between self-reported pain (moderate/severe vs mild/none) and cannabis and prescription…
The prevalence and associated overdose death rates from opioid use disorder (OUD) have dramatically increased in the last decade. Despite more available treatments than 20 years ago, treatment access and high discontinuation rates are challenges, as are personalized medication dosing and…
To examine changes in addiction medicine treatment utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents (aged 13-17 years) and differences by race/ethnicity. We compared treatment initiation (overall and telehealth), engagement, and 12-week retention between insured adolescents with substance use problems during pre-COVID-19…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain cautioned that inflexible opioid prescription duration limits may harm patients. Information about the relationship between initial opioid prescription duration and a subsequent refill could…
Teaching people with chronic pain how to manage their medical care and use non-medication alternatives for pain may improve overall health and reduce depression, according to new research from Kaiser Permanente.
Given significant risks associated with long-term prescription opioid use, there is a need for non-pharmacological interventions for treating chronic pain. Activating patients to manage chronic pain has the potential to improve health outcomes. The ACTIVATE study was designed to evaluate…
Few primary care (PC) practices treat patients with medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) despite availability of effective treatments. To assess whether implementation of the Massachusetts model of nurse care management for OUD in PC increases OUD treatment with buprenorphine…
In response to the opioid crisis in the United States, population-level prescribing of opioids has been decreasing; there are concerns, however, that dose reductions are related to potential adverse events. Examine associations between opioid dose reductions and risk of 1-month…
The COVID pandemic prompted a significant increase in the utilization of telemedicine (TM) for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. As we transition towards a "new normal" policy, it is crucial to comprehensively understand the evidence of TM in SUD treatment…
Multiple digital data sources can capture moment-to-moment information to advance a robust understanding of opioid use disorder (OUD) behavior, ultimately creating a digital phenotype for each patient. This information can lead to individualized interventions to improve treatment for OUD. The…
More Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients sought out addiction treatment during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with a similar period in 2019.
The opioid epidemic and limited access to treatment for opioid withdrawal (OW) and opioid use disorder (OUD) has led individuals to seek alternative treatments. This narrative review aims to educate clinicians on the mechanisms of action, toxicity, and applications of…
Addiction treatment rapidly transitioned to a primarily telehealth modality (telephone and video) during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about disparities in utilization. To examine whether there were differences in overall and telehealth addiction treatment utilization after telehealth policy changes during…
In 2018, California legalized the sale of cannabis for adult non-medical use. To understand use of cannabis after legalization, we surveyed a stratified random sample of adults in a large health system (aged 19-64) with and without documented chronic pain…
The increasing trend in alcohol consumption among women, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is of growing concern. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in primary care is an efficacious and cost-effective treatment approach for unhealthy alcohol use. However, disparities…
Determine the accuracy of diagnostic codes in identifying Prenatal Opioid Exposure (POE) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). A cross-sectional study of 374,222 mother-infant dyads with delivery from 01/01/2010 to 12/31/2019. We ascertained maternal diagnostic codes for opioid use during…
The relationship between tobacco smoking status and SARS-CoV-2 infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity is highly debated. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of?>2.4 million adults in a large healthcare system to evaluate whether smoking is associated with SARS-CoV-2…
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of healthcare service delivery. This review aims to describe telemedicine-delivered substance use disorder (SUD) treatments and services along the cascade of care in the U.S. after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A…
Buprenorphine is an effective medication for opioid use disorder that reduces mortality; however, many patients are not retained in buprenorphine treatment, and an optimal length of treatment after which patients can safely discontinue treatment has not been identified. This study…
Pragmatic primary care trials aim to test interventions in "real world" health care settings, but clinics willing and able to participate in trials may not be representative of typical clinics. This analysis compared patients in participating and non-participating clinics from…
During the COVID-19 pandemic, specialty alcohol treatment transitioned rapidly to telehealth, which may have created barriers for some patients but increased access for others. This study evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol treatment utilization and potential disparities…
The authors sought to characterize the 3-year prevalence of mental disorders and nonnicotine substance use disorders among male and female primary care patients with documented opioid use disorder across large U.S. health systems. This retrospective study used 2014-2016 data from…
The use of alcohol among older women, particularly binge drinking, has been steadily increasing in recent years, leaving them vulnerable to associated health conditions. This mixed methods study uses KPNC's EHR based alcohol registry and screening data to examine unhealthy…
Prenatal cannabis use is associated with health risks for mothers and their children. Prior research suggests that rates of prenatal cannabis use in Northern California increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is unknown whether increases varied with the local…
Substance use disorders are associated with high rates of emergency department (ED) use and challenges engaging with primary care services. To examine 5-year health care engagement and utilization outcomes for participants in the LINKAGE trial, given previously reported associations of…
Effective communication skills are essential for optimally managing chronic pain and opioids. This exploratory, sequential mixed methods study tested the effect of a novel framework designed to improve pain-related communication and outcomes. Study 1 developed a novel 5-step framework for…
There is no gold-standard and considerable heterogeneity in outcome measures used to evaluate treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) along the opioid treatment cascade. The aim of this study was to develop the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)…
Develop and implement a prescription opioid registry in 10 diverse health systems across the US and describe trends in prescribed opioids between 2012 and 2018. Using electronic health record and claims data, we identified patients who had an outpatient fill…
Alcohol screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in adult primary care is an evidence-based, public health strategy to address unhealthy alcohol use, but evidence of effectiveness of alcohol brief intervention (ABI) in real-world implementation is lacking. We fit…
Patients who use cannabis for medical reasons may benefit from discussions with clinicians about health risks of cannabis and evidence-based treatment alternatives. However, little is known about the prevalence of medical cannabis use in primary care and how often it…
Despite high prevalence of polysubstance use, recent data on concurrent alcohol use in patients with specific substance use disorders (SUDs) are lacking. To examine associations between specific SUDs and alcohol consumption levels. Using electronic health record data, we conducted a…
Individuals globally were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in myriad of ways, including social isolation and economic hardship, resulting in negative impacts on mental health and substance use. Young adults have been subjected to extraordinary challenges such as job loss,…
Across the U.S., the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and the rates of opioid overdoses have risen precipitously in recent years. Several effective medications for OUD (MOUD) exist and have been shown to be life-saving. A large volume of…
Background: Most states have legalized medical cannabis, yet little is known about how medical cannabis use is documented in patients' electronic health records (EHRs). We used natural language processing (NLP) to calculate the prevalence of clinician-documented medical cannabis use among…
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication adherence and adverse health outcomes in older adolescents transitioning to adulthood. In a cohort of 17-year-old adolescents with ADHD at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, we…
Unhealthy alcohol use is a serious and costly public health problem. Alcohol screening and brief interventions are effective in reducing unhealthy alcohol consumption. However, rates of receipt and delivery of brief interventions vary significantly across healthcare settings, and relatively little…
Little is known about prevalence and treatment of OUD among youth engaged in primary care (PC). Medications are the recommended treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) for adolescents and young adults (youth). This study describes the prevalence of OUD, the…
Teens diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often don’t take their medication regularly, and new Kaiser Permanente research finds the problem gets worse when they hit adulthood. The study also related non-adherence to ADHD medication with some negative health and social outcomes.
Many people use cannabis for medical reasons despite limited evidence of therapeutic benefit and potential risks. Little is known about medical practitioners' documentation of medical cannabis use or clinical characteristics of patients with documented medical cannabis use. To estimate the…
Large observational study to evaluate the effects of initiating buprenorphine treatment on subsequent suicidal behavior among people with opioid use disorder.
Hepatitis C and HIV are associated with opioid use disorders (OUD) and injection drug use. Medications for OUD can prevent the spread of HCV and HIV. To describe the prevalence of documented OUD, as well as receipt of office-based medication…
The early COVID-19 pandemic resulted in great psychosocial disruption and stress, raising speculation that psychiatric disorders may worsen. This study aimed to identify patients vulnerable to worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This retrospective observational study used electronic health…
This study will examine substance use treatment among patients with hepatitis C who have unhealthy alcohol use and how well they engage in appropriate and timely hepatitis C care. The findings will be used to conduct an intervention study aimed…
Most people with opioid use disorder (OUD) never receive treatment. Medication treatment of OUD in primary care is recommended as an approach to increase access to care. The PRimary Care Opioid Use Disorders treatment (PROUD) trial tests whether implementation of…
A lack of consensus on the optimal outcome measures to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) has hampered the pooling of research data for evidence synthesis and clinical guidelines. A core…
: The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to exacerbate existing anxiety and substance use disorders (SUDs) and increase vulnerability among individuals previously free of these conditions. Numerous pandemic-related stressors-coronavirus infection fears, social distancing and isolation, activity restrictions, financial insecurity and unemployment,…
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased insurance coverage for people with HIV (PWH) in the United States. To inform health policy, it is useful to investigate how enrollment through ACA Exchanges, deductible levels, and demographic factors are associated with…
Practitioners expected the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to increase availability of health services and access to treatment for Americans with substance use disorders (SUDs). Yet research has not examined the associations among ACA enrollment mechanisms, deductibles, and the use of…
A non-fatal opioid overdose (NFOO) increases the risk of another overdose and identifies high-risk patients. We estimated the risk of repeat opioid overdose for patients with and without substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses and the change in substance use treatment…
The United States is in the middle of an opioid overdose epidemic, and experts are calling for improved detection of opioid use disorders (OUDs) and treatment with buprenorphine or extended release (XR) injectable naltrexone, which can be prescribed in general…
The application of digital technologies to better assess, understand, and treat substance use disorders (SUDs) is a particularly promising and vibrant area of scientific research. The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN), launched in 1999 by the U.S…
The U.S. experienced nearly 48,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2017. Treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) with buprenorphine is a recommended part of primary care, yet little is known about current U.S. practices in this setting. This observational study reports…
Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) have particularly high rates of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and are also more likely to receive prescription opioids for their pain. However, there have been no known studies published to…
Cynthia Campbell is a Division of Research investigator who spearheaded the development of a multi-site prescription opioids registry to better understand opioid use and patient outcomes.
This review sought to (a) describe definitions of long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) outcome measures, and (b) identify the predictors associated with the transition from short-term opioid use to LTOT for opioid-naïve individuals. We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed…
Concomitant excessive alcohol consumption and benzodiazepine use is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined associations of unhealthy alcohol use and other patient characteristics with benzodiazepine use. A cross-sectional analysis of 2,089,525 Kaiser Permanente of Northern California outpatients screened for…
To evaluate implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery by comparing opioid exposure, multimodal analgesia use, and other process and outcome measures before and after implementation. An ERAS program was implemented among…
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) promised to narrow smoking disparities by expanding access to healthcare and mandating comprehensive coverage for tobacco treatment starting in 2014. We examined whether two years after ACA implementation disparities in receiving clinician advice to quit…
Cross-sectional studies indicate an elevated prevalence of prenatal marijuana use in women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP). However, it is unknown whether differences in marijuana use by NVP status have persisted over time as marijuana becomes more acceptable…
Emergency clinicians are on the front lines of responding to the opioid epidemic and are leading innovations to reduce opioid overdose deaths through safer prescribing, harm reduction, and improved linkage to outpatient treatment. Currently, there are no nationally recognized quality…
Background: Problematic use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) is highly prevalent among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH), and untreated AOD use disorders have particularly detrimental effects on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outcomes. The Healthcare Effectiveness Data…
Background: Treatment initiation and engagement rates for alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders differ depending on where the AOD use disorder was identified. Emergency department (ED) and primary care (PC) are 2 common settings where patients are identified; however,…
Background: Medical comorbidity may influence treatment initiation and engagement for alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders. We examined the association between medical comorbidity and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) treatment initiation and engagement measures.Methods: We used electronic…
Background: Only 10% of patients with alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders receive treatment. The AOD Initiation and Engagement in Treatment (AOD-IET) measure was added to the national Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) to improve access to care…
Background: Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) have increased with more individuals using cannabis, yet few receive treatment. Health systems have adopted the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) quality measures of initiation and engagement in alcohol and other drug (AOD)…
Background: Psychiatric comorbidity is common among patients with alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders. To better understand how psychiatric comorbidity influences AOD treatment access in health care systems, the present study examined treatment initiation and engagement among a large,…
Background: The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) has increased rapidly in the United States and improving treatment access is critical. Among patients with OUD, we examined factors associated with the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) performance measures…
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) offered an unprecedented opportunity to expand insurance coverage to patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). We explored the expectations of key stakeholders for the ACA's impact on SUD care, and examined how clinical characteristics of…
Marijuana use is clinically problematic in depression, and non-medical and medical use may both contribute to barriers to care in this population. Among outpatients with depression, we examined the differential impact of medical or non-medical marijuana use, relative to no-use,…
We examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act-mandated elimination of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy (TCP) copayments on patient use of TCP, overall and by income. Electronic health record data captured any and combination (eg, nicotine gum plus patch) TCP use…
Building on past research, this project will establish the infrastructure to expand a prescription opioid registry across diverse health systems in the Addiction Research Network. Harmonized electronic health record data elements will be used to examine how changes in opioid…
The goal of this Food and Drug Administration-mandated study is to provide quantitative estimates of the serious risks of misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose, and death associated with long-term use of opioid analgesics for management of chronic pain, among patients prescribed…
Understand patient and system characteristics associated with performance on the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Initiation and Engagement of Treatment (IET) measures. This mixed-methods study linked patient and health system data from four…
Strategies are needed to identify at-risk patients for adverse events associated with prescription opioids. This study identified prescription opioid misuse in an integrated health system using electronic health record (EHR) data, and examined predictors of misuse and overdose. The sample…
Changes in substance use patterns stemming from opioid misuse, ongoing drinking problems, and marijuana legalization may result in new populations of patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) using emergency department (ED) resources. This study examined ED admission trends in a…
Substance use, psychiatric problems, and pain frequently co-occur, yet clinical profiles of treatment-seeking patients are poorly understood. To inform service and treatment planning, substance use and symptom patterns were examined in an outpatient psychiatry clinic, along with the relationship of…
This study examined whether marijuana use was associated with clinically problematic outcomes for patients with depression and alcohol use disorder (AUD). The sample consisted of 307 psychiatry outpatients with mild to severe depression and past 30-day hazardous drinking/drug use, who…
This study will survey a sample of patients with pain about their use of medical marijuana. The goal is to describe patterns of use, mode, medical conditions, or symptoms for which medical marijuana is used, as well as perceived benefits,…
To examine the odds associated with having medical comorbidities among patients with serious mental illness (SMI) in a large integrated health system. In a secondary analysis of electronic health record data, this study identified 25,090 patients with an ICD-9 SMI…
Marijuana use disorder (MUD) is the most common illegal drug use disorder and its prevalence is increasing. It is associated with psychiatric and medical problems, but little is known about its impact on emergency department (ED) and inpatient utilization rates…
To better identify individuals on chronic opioid therapy (COT) at high risk for aberrant-drug related behavior (ADRB). We examine whether patients with low level alcohol and drug use have similar characteristics to those with alcohol and drug disorders. We then…
Smokers on chronic opioid therapy (COT) for noncancer pain use prescription opioids at higher dosages and are at increased risk for opioid misuse and dependence relative to nonsmokers. The current study aims to assess whether smoking is associated with problems…
To establish a prescription opioid registry protocol in a large health system and to describe algorithms to characterize individuals using prescription opioids, opioid use episodes, and concurrent use of sedative/hypnotics. Protocol development and retrospective cohort study. Using Kaiser Permanente Northern…
To compare the health conditions and health care costs of family members of patients diagnosed with a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) to family members of patients without an MDD diagnosis. Using electronic health record data, we identified family members (n=201,914)…
To examine rates of smoking and tobacco treatment utilization by insurance coverage status (Medicaid, commercial, exchange) among newly enrolled patients in the post Affordable Care Act (ACA) era. We examined new members who enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Northern California through…
The purpose of this study is to assess positive predictive value (PPV), relative to medical chart review, of International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9/10 diagnostic codes for identifying opioid overdoses and poisonings. Data were obtained from Kaiser Permanente Northwest and Northern…
Socioeconomic status (SES) has been consistently linked to poorer access, utilization and outcomes of health care services, but this relationship has been understudied in adolescent substance abuse treatment research. This study examined SES differences in adolescent's treatment participation and long-term…
This randomized trial of a patient activation approach to self-management is based in primary care and focuses on management of prescription opioids among patients with chronic pain.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was expected to benefit patients with substance use disorders, including opioid use disorders (OUDs). This study examined buprenorphine use and health services utilization by patients with OUDs pre- and post-ACA in a large health care…
This cooperative agreement supports addiction research in 15 health systems from across the U.S. by establishing the Health Systems Network (HSN) node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. HSN research includes a range of study designs and settings, but emphasizes…
This randomized trial is based in primary care and focuses on management of prescription opioids among chronic pain patients. The intervention uses a patient activation approach to self-management for these patients and to link them to existing health plan resources.
This study is a randomized trial of adjunctive substance abuse services in combination with buprenorphine treatment for opioid abuse/dependence. We will examine treatment as usual vs. case management/telephonic support, and outcomes of medication compliance, substance use and psychiatric severity.
To examine the impact of the ACA on treatment for individuals with drug use disorders and who are HIV+. We will examine how this population changes after 2014 enrollment, and subsequent substance abuse treatment and HIV treatment utilization. We will…
This study is a randomized trial of adjunctive substance abuse services in combination with buprenorphine treatment for opioid abuse/dependence. We will examine treatment as usual vs. case management/telephonic support, and outcomes of medication compliance, substance use and psychiatric severity.
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the ACA on treatment for individuals with drug use disorders and who are HIV-positive. We will examine how this population changes after 2014 enrollment, and subsequent substance abuse treatment…
The primary goal of this study is to examine the effects of intrinsic subtypes and their relationship to breast cancer risk factors and short and long-term prognosis in two ongoing cohort studies of breast cancer survivors being conducted within the…
This study examined implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in relation to HIV-positive patient enrollment in an integrated health care system; as well as changes in new enrollee characteristics, benefit structure, and health care utilization after key ACA provisions…
In an environment of increasingly liberal attitudes towards marijuana use and legalization, little is known about long-term trajectories of marijuana use among clinical samples of adolescents, and how these trajectories relate to health services utilization over time. Latent growth curve…
To examine whether high-deductible health plans are related to patient complexity, health services use, and medical care costs among substance use treatment patients. Electronic health record data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California; 2007-2011. Retrospective analysis of electronic health record data…
We examined prevalence of major medical conditions and extent of disease burden among patients with and without substance use disorders (SUDs) in an integrated health care system serving 3.8 million members. Medical conditions and SUDs were extracted from electronic health…
To examine changes in HIV-positive patient enrollment in a large health care delivery system before and after key Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions went into effect in 2014. Analyses compared HIV-positive patients newly enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Northern California between…
Addiction, overdoses and deaths resulting from prescription opioids have increased dramatically over the last decade. In response, several manufacturers have developed formulations of opioids with abuse-deterrent properties. For many of these products, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the…
The use of chronic opioid therapy (COT) has risen dramatically in recent years, especially among women. However, little is known about factors influencing overall pain and function (global pain status) among COT users. Characterizing the typical experiences of COT patients…
Unhealthy alcohol use is a major contributor to the global burden of disease and injury. The US Preventive Services Task Force has recommended alcohol screening and intervention in general medical settings since 2004. Yet less than one in six US…
Chronic opioid therapy (COT) is associated with various adverse outcomes, especially at higher doses, yet little is known about predictors of sustained higher-dose COT. This study aimed to ascertain, among higher-dose COT patients, the association of patient-perceived pros and cons…
This study examines the associations between 12-step participation and outcomes over 7 years among 419 adolescent substance use patients with and without psychiatric comorbidities. Although level of participation decreased over time for both groups, comorbid adolescents participated in 12-step groups…
BACKGROUND: Chronic opioid therapy has increased dramatically, as have complications related to prescription opioids. Little is known about the problems and concerns attributed to opioids by patients receiving different opioid doses. METHODS: We surveyed 1883 patients who were receiving chronic…
BACKGROUND: Adolescents who attend 12-step groups following alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment are more likely to remain abstinent and to avoid relapse post-treatment. We examined whether 12-step attendance is also associated with a corresponding reduction in health care use…
OBJECTIVES:: Chronic opioid therapy (COT) for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) is characterized by both high rates of patient-initiated discontinuation and by perceived helpfulness among those who sustain opioid use. This study examines predictors of the desire to cut down or…
PURPOSE Opioid misuse in the context of chronic opioid therapy (COT) is a growing concern. Depression may be a risk factor for opioid misuse, but it has been difficult to tease out the contribution of co-occurring substance abuse. This study…
AIMS: This study examines 12-Step attendance trajectories over 7 years, factors associated with the trajectories, and relationships between the trajectories and long-term substance use outcomes among adolescents entering out-patient substance use treatment in a private, non-profit integrated managed-care health plan…
Taking opioids with other central nervous system (CNS) depressants can increase risk of oversedation and respiratory depression. We used telephone survey and electronic health care data to assess the prevalence of, and risk factors for, concurrent use of alcohol and/or…
PURPOSE: To examine the role of family environment and peer networks in abstinence outcomes for adolescents 1 year after intake to alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment. DESIGN: Survey of 419 adolescents 13 to 18 years of age at consecutive…
OBJECTIVES: To examine changes the in use of prescription opioids for the management of chronic noncancer pain in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and to identify patient characteristics associated with long-term use. METHODS: Long-term prescription opioid use (ie, 120+ days…
This study of 2,163 adult chronic, non-cancer-pain, long-term opioid therapy patients examines the relationship of depression to functional disability by measuring average pain interference, activity limitation days, and employment status. Those with more depression symptoms compared to those with fewer…
Some expert guidelines recommend time-scheduled opioid dosing over pain-contingent dosing for patients receiving chronic opioid therapy (COT). The premise is that time-scheduled dosing results in more stable opioid blood levels and better pain relief, fewer adverse effects, less reinforcement of…
OBJECTIVES: We describe age and gender trends in long-term use of prescribed opioids for chronic noncancer pain in 2 large health plans. METHODS: Age- and gender-standardized incident (beginning in each year) and prevalent (ongoing) opioid use episodes were estimated with…
BACKGROUND: Long-term opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain is becoming increasingly common in community practice. Concomitant with this change in practice, rates of fatal opioid overdose have increased. The extent to which overdose risks are elevated among patients receiving medically…
OBJECTIVE: This study examined ethnic differences in accessing treatment for depression and substance use disorders (SUDs) among men and women in a large integrated health plan, and explored factors potentially contributing to health care disparities. METHODS: Participants were 22,543 members…
OBJECTIVE: To report trends and characteristics of long-term opioid use for non-cancer pain. METHODS: CONSORT (CONsortium to Study Opioid Risks and Trends) includes adult enrollees of two health plans serving over 1 per cent of the US population. Using automated…
OBJECTIVE: We report trends in long-term opioid use among patients with a history of depression from two large health plans. METHODS: Using claims data, age- and gender-adjusted rates for long-term (>90 days) opioid use episodes were calculated for 1997-2005, comparing…
Long-term opioid therapy for non-cancer pain has increased. Caution is advised in prescribing for persons with substance use disorders, but little is known about actual health plan practices. This paper reports trends and characteristics of long-term opioid use in persons…
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the effects of treatment factors, including the types of services [chemical dependency (CD), psychiatric, or both], on long-term outcomes among adolescents following CD treatment, and whether receiving continuing care may contribute to better outcomes. This…
Longer treatment duration has consistently been related to improved substance use outcomes. This study examined how tailored women's programming and organizational characteristics were related to duration in outpatient substance abuse treatment in women. Data were from two waves of a…
AIMS: Twelve-Step affiliation among adolescents is little understood. We examined 12-Step affiliation and its association with substance use outcomes 3 years post-treatment intake among adolescents seeking chemical dependency (CD) treatment in a private, managed-care health plan. We also examined the…
PURPOSE: Adolescents with substance use (SU) problems have high rates of tobacco use, yet SU treatment has historically ignored treatment for tobacco use. Barriers to such efforts include the belief that tobacco cessation could compromise other SU abstinence. This study…
OBJECTIVES: This paper describes characteristics of opioid use episodes for noncancer pain and defines thresholds for de facto long-term opioid therapy. METHODS: CONSORT (CONsortium to Study Opioid Risks and Trends) includes adult members of 2 health plans serving over 1%…
Interest in improving the quality of addiction treatment has led to the development of clinical paradigms that emphasize the principle of tailored care-matching treatments to the specific needs of each client or client subgroup. This work analyzes how trends in…
BACKGROUND: Tailoring substance abuse treatment to women often leads to better outcomes. Previous evidence, however, suggests limited availability of such options. OBJECTIVES: This investigation sought to depict recent changes in outpatient substance abuse treatment (OSAT) tailoring to women and to…
Licensing and accreditation are widely used to improve and convey organizational quality. The objective of this study was to provide substance abuse treatment stakeholders with better evidence about how well licensing and accreditation actually correlate with staffing and treatment practices…
PURPOSE: There has been little research on adolescents of different ethnicities in chemical dependency (CD) treatment, despite a focus on ethnic disparities in health care in recent years. In particular, little is known about ethnic differences in utilization of adolescent…
Women entering substance abuse treatment have more severe substance abuse problems and more medical and psychiatric comorbidities than men. Research shows that specialized women's services are associated with better retention and outcomes but relatively little is known about their availability…
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how a sample of outpatient substance abuse treatment units respond to organizational and environmental influences by adopting and implementing treatment services for women. DATA SOURCES: The National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey from 1995 and 2000, a…
Division of Research
4480 Hacienda Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588
Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Your Privacy Choices
Follow us on these external social media sites that will open in a new browser window.
© 2025 Kaiser Permanente Division of Research