STIGMA! –
July 17, 2024 – Around 66% of studies cited negative social influences – or beliefs about public and community acceptance of addiction care – while 56% of studies cited fear of harming the patient-physician relationship as deterrents for physicians to intervene in addiction. These may represent the manifestation of stigma associated with substance use disorder … The study’s findings point to the need for institution-wide changes to improve the adoption of evidence-based substance use disorder treatment practices among physicians. These changes include increasing organizational support, leadership and staff buy-in, and education and training. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was led and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health.
“People with substance use disorders must be able to access compassionate and evidence-based care at any touchpoint they have with a health care provider,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director of NIDA. “To make that vision a reality, clinicians across all medical disciplines need greater training, resources, and support in caring for people with addiction, so that they feel prepared to proactively offer prevention, screening, treatment, harm reduction, and other tools that can help save lives.”
