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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine Across 5 Healthcare Systems

Background




Opioid overdose deaths have disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic populations, in part due to disparities in treatment access. Emergency departments (EDs) serve as a resource for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), many of whom have difficulty accessing outpatient addiction programs. However, inequities in ED treatment for OUD remain poorly understood.



Methods



This secondary analysis examined racial and ethnic differences in buprenorphine access using data from EMBED, a study of 21 ED's across 5 healthcare systems evaluating a clinical decision support system for initiating ED buprenorphine. The primary outcome was receipt of buprenorphine, ED administered or prescribed. 



Results



Black patients with OUD were less likely to receive buprenorphine whereas Hispanic patients were more likely to receive buprenorphine in academic and community ED's. Differences were attenuated with discharge diagnosis, as fewer Black and non-Hispanic patients were diagnosed with opioid withdrawal. Barriers to medication treatment are heterogenous among patients with OUD; research must continue to address the multiple drivers of health inequities at the patient, clinician and community level.



https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acem.14668

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