Objective:

To assess the medical needs of patients hospitalized with injection-related infections and evaluate the impact of an integrated care team on specific health outcomes such as referral rates and infection management.

Key Findings:

• Patients seen by the integrated team had more severe infections, with 37.2% experiencing bacteremia compared to 11% in the control group, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
• The integrated team achieved higher rates of BBV screening (90.7% vs 64.4%) and outpatient care offers (81% vs 6%), indicating improved patient engagement.

Interpretation:

The integrated care model effectively addresses the complex health needs of PWID, leading to improved screening and outpatient care engagement, which is crucial for long-term health outcomes.

Limitations:

• The study is based on a small sample size and a single hospital setting, which may limit the applicability of the findings.
• Results may not be generalizable to other regions or healthcare systems, and potential biases in the study design should be considered.

Conclusion:

A patient-centered, multidisciplinary approach can significantly improve health outcomes for individuals who inject drugs, addressing both medical and social complexities.