Kaiser Health News (10/11, Bebinger) reports, “Hospitals typically employ all sorts of [healthcare professionals] who specialize in the heart, lungs, and kidneys.” However, “for patients with an addiction or a condition related to drug or alcohol use, few hospitals have a clinician – whether that be a physician, nurse, therapist, or social worker – who specializes in addiction medicine.” This “absence is striking at a time when overdose deaths in the U.S. have reached record highs, and research shows patients face an increased risk of fatal overdose in the days or weeks after being discharged from a hospital.”
Related Links:
— “Hospitals Have Been Slow to Bring On Addiction Specialists ” Martha Bebinger, Kaiser Health News, October 11, 2022