Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
In parallel with rising mortality from drug toxicities, hospitalizations for infectious complications from substance use are increasing. This paper was written by an interdisciplinary group of interest-holders that urge for increased attention in infectious disease (ID) care for people who use drugs (PWUD) to support equitable interventions and improve patient outcomes and well-being. Barriers and facilitators to accessing harm reduction and substance use disorder treatment in hospitals are discussed.
Findings/Key points
The authors recommend that ID care draws on the principles of shared decision making, health equity and harm reduction to optimize patient autonomy, health, and safety. Among these these case studies, themes highlighted include: inclusion of patient preferences in antimicrobial treatment decisions, considering multiple antimicrobial treatment options, incorporating multidisciplinary management, prescribing opioid agonist therapy in hospital and prioritizing smooth transition of care upon discharge. Strategies to reduce barriers, such as stigma and distrust are also emphasized.
Design/methods
Four case studies of patients with injection drug use–associated infections are presented to illustrate ways to reframe ID care for PWUD. Infographics and tables are also used to display this information.
