Addiction, a chronic and multifaceted health issue, causes massive burdens on vulnerable populations, causing adverse effects on vulnerable people. The laws regarding addictive problems can be supported through policy, leading to changes that enhance patient care and treatment. This proposal for policy change offers detailed guidelines to improve the treatment and outcomes of substance-dependent patients, emphasising multidisciplinary collaboration.
Proposed Policy and Guidelines
To enhance the outcomes for people with addiction, several policies and guidelines are suggested.
Integrated Care Model
The first is developing an integrated care framework that includes physical health, mental health and support services for addicted people. In this case, the process involves providing patients with comprehensive addiction treatment that covers all aspects of patients’ health (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). This will help minimise fragmentation and promote cooperation between healthcare practitioners.
Access to Care
Coordinating care for addiction and substance use disorder treatment with available telehealth solutions, mobile clinics, and non-hospital outpatient applications (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). This approach is helpful in rural and underserved areas and avails services to vulnerable citizens.
Harm Reduction Strategies
Another policy strategy of concern is the utilisation of harm reduction policies like providing needles and syringes, providing safe injecting facilities, and dispensing naloxone. These are essential incentives that help reduce the probability of contracting chronic diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, that affect individuals with addictions (Waller et al., 2021). Therefore, there will be a safer environment for individuals while connecting them to treatment services.
Education and Training
It is essential to provide mandatory education and training for care providers to offer holistic care and guarantee sustainable health outcomes. The training can cover different issues, including stigma reduction, addiction treatment, and cultural competency (Disselkoen, 2023). These issues guarantee the delivery of ethical and compassionate care that effectively addresses the addiction problem among users.
Support Services
The policy should also improve support services to vulnerable people that reduce exposure and risks of addiction. Some support services include housing access, employment assistance, and peer support groups (Mekonnen & Lee, 2022)These services are also essential in addressing the social determinants of health, guaranteeing positive outcomes, and ensuring long-term recovery and reintegration into society.
Advocating the Need for the Policy
Current outcomes, quality of care, and satisfaction with services for individuals experiencing addiction are low, with high relapse rates, overdose, and mortality levels. The proposed policy can address these problems by ensuring comprehensive, sensitive, and accessible care for affected people (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). Evidence confirms that integrated care models are effective because they offer coordinated and sustained care to patients (Fairley et al., 2021). Moreover, evidence-based interventions aid in reducing mortality from overdoses and the spread of different diseases. Understanding the causes and conditions that lead to addiction, this policy will improve the quality of life for persons struggling with addiction.
Interprofessional Approach to Policy Implementation
Interprofessional collaboration is needed to implement the policy and realise positive changes and efficiency in addiction treatment. The first aspect is promoting collaboration among healthcare providers (National Institute On Drug Abuse, 2018). This includes enhancing interaction and interdependency between various stakeholders involved in the care delivery process. Some stakeholders are the patient’s primary physician, mental health counsellor, addiction therapist, family, and other caregivers (Brecht et al., 2020). This helps break barriers in delivering care, and its associated impacts on patients because they are given proper attention.
Another related area is developing community relations or partnerships with groups and institutions found on the local level, including police and social services departments. Such affiliations will assist in mitigating the social determinants of addiction and support the patient’s recovery (Sokol et al., 2021). These collaborations also help present a unified approach regarding the management of substance use and dependence in various settings.
Another essential aspect to be considered during the implementation process is the technological resources. The use of technology helps and encourages networking and collaboration among caregivers. These involve embracing electronic health records (EHRs) and telehealth frameworks to help the providers receive, reinforce, and pass information to ensure positive impacts and healthcare continuity (Mark et al., 2022). The final process is constantly assessing and enhancing the processes that deliver and compose treatment and care. This requires meaningful and planned strategies for assessing the organisation to identify gaps (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Thus, the policy constantly evaluates the efficiency of the patient care process and treatment program and its applicability to the population.
Conclusion
This paper covers the proposed policy to improve outcomes and healthcare measures delivered to patients with addiction disorders. It has a clear, long-term framework that provides better prospects for affected people. There is provision for better access under the policy and essential aspects like protection measures against harm, caring and training of the providers, and improvement of support services. The changes must involve interprofessional partners in healthcare and community domains for such practice change. Therefore, the policy offers a promising approach for treating and managing addiction using integrated approaches to guarantee positive outcomes.
References
Brecht, D. M., Stephens, J., & Gatchel, R. J. (2020). Interdisciplinary pain management programs in the treatment of pain conditions. Pain Management for Clinicians: A Guide to Assessment and Treatment, 461–489.
Disselkoen, M. (2023). Overview of American Society of the Addiction Medicine ( ASAM ) 4 Edition. American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Fairley, M., Humphreys, K., Joyce, V. R., Bounthavong, M., Trafton, J., Combs, A., Oliva, E. M., Goldhaber-Fiebert, J. D., Asch, S. M., & Brandeau, M. L. (2021). Cost-effectiveness of treatments for opioid use disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(7), 767–777.
Mark, T. L., Treiman, K., Padwa, H., Henretty, K., Tzeng, J., & Gilbert, M. (2022). Addiction treatment and telehealth: review of efficacy and provider insights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatric Services, 73(5), 484–491.
Mekonnen, A., & Lee, B. K. (2022). Social work in addiction: opportunities and alliances. Journal of Social Work Practice, 36(3), 303–316.
National Institute On Drug Abuse. (2018). Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (3rd ed.). https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/what-are-unique-needs-pregnant-women-substance-use
Sokol, R. G., Pines, R., & Chew, A. (2021). Multidisciplinary approach for managing complex pain and addiction in primary care: a qualitative study. The Annals of Family Medicine, 19(3), 224–231.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Contingency management for the treatment of substance use disorders: Enhancing access, quality, and program integrity for an evidence-based intervention. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
Waller, R. C., Clark, K. J., Woodruff, A., Glossa, J., & Ostrovsky, A. (2021). Guide for future directions for the addiction and OUD treatment ecosystem. NAM Perspectives, 2021.
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