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Barriers to Care Experienced by Patients Who Inject Drugs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis.
Gleason, Emily; Nolan, Nathanial S; Marks, Laura R; Habrock, Tracey; Liang, Stephen Y; Durkin, Michael J.
  • Gleason E; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (EG, NSN, LRM, TH, SYL, MJD); Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (SYL).
J Addict Med ; 16(2): e133-e136, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1177342
ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES:

To identify the barriers to accessing health care and social services faced by people who inject drugs (PWID) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS:

This report is a sub-analysis of a larger qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWID admitted to an academic medical center from 2017 to 2020 for an invasive injection-related infection. Standard qualitative analysis techniques, consisting of both inductive and deductive approaches, were used to identify and characterize the effects of COVID-19 on participants.

RESULTS:

Among the 30 PWID interview participants, 14 reported barriers to accessing health and addiction services due to COVID-19. As facilities decreased appointment availability or transitioned to telemedicine, PWID reported being unable to access services. Social distancing led to isolation or loneliness during hospital stays and in the community. Recovery meetings and support groups, critical to addiction recovery, were particularly affected. Other participants reported that uncertainty and fear of contracting the virus generated changes in behavior that led them to avoid seeking services.

CONCLUSIONS:

COVID-19 has disrupted health systems and social services, leading PWID to experience unprecedented barriers to accessing and maintaining health and addiction services in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Opioid use disorder management must be understood as a holistic process, and a multidisciplinary approach to ensuring comprehensive care, even in the midst of this pandemic, is needed.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Substance Abuse, Intravenous / COVID-19 / Opioid-Related Disorders Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: J Addict Med Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Substance Abuse, Intravenous / COVID-19 / Opioid-Related Disorders Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: J Addict Med Year: 2022 Document Type: Article